Mature Adult Bible Study Class Blog

Do You Have a Godly Fear?

floral_dreams@yahoo.com (SisEdith) — Thu, 24 May 2012 21:27:19 +0000

And now, Israel, what doth the LORD thy God require of thee, but to fear the LORD thy God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve the LORD thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul, To keep the commandments of the LORD, and his statutes, which I command thee this day for thy good? Deuteronomy 10:12-13
The very first thing that God requires is that we fear the Lord and then to walk in all his ways. If we first fear him, there is going to be an overwhelming desire to walk in all his ways. If we don’t fear him, we won’t want to walk in all his ways.

It is vitally important that we fear God. What does the phrase: fear the Lord, mean? It is a healthy respect, reverence, honor, esteem, to acknowledge his sovereignty. What is sovereignty? It is his power, his control. Does he know everything? Does he see everything? Is he everywhere present? Has he created everything? God is all powerful, all wise, and all knowing. There is nothing that can be hid from God.

Out of respect and reverence, all for him, we humbly submit to him. In fearing God, we acknowledge his sovereignty. Does the world acknowledge God? No, they don’t. Christians submit to his laws. Part of this fear is respect and part of this fear is love. You have to have both. If you have respect without love, it is just a trembling thing. If you have love without respect, it is just a put-on; it is not from the heart. We have to make the choice that we are going to fear God and respect him out of love.

Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. Ecclesiastes 12:13

So from the beginning until the end – our duty to God is to fear and obey Him. Fear has to be your choice from your heart. Remember when the apostle Paul was on the road to Damascus? He was a Pharisee and was very religious. He had gotten letters of authorization from the Sanhedrin, allowing him to persecute the Christians and put them in jail. But on the road to Damascus, he saw a great light and Jesus spoke to him out of Heaven. Saul saw a bright light. He fell to the ground trembling. Have you ever seen people under conviction trembling? What kind of trembling was it? It was fear that he knew that he was out of order with God. He had thought that he was right with God, but when he saw the bright light, he knew that there was something wrong. His first words after Jesus spoke to him were; what will thou have me to do. There was total submission.

Right along with Godly fear there should be obedience and total submission. The heart says; Lord what do you want me to do because we recognize the awesomeness of God. We need to be careful that we don’t think we are more important than we are. We are nothing and we need to recognize that God is everything. We owe everything to God.

Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear: for our God is a consuming fire. Hebrews 12:28-29

The Straight Way & Narrow Gate

floral_dreams@yahoo.com (SisEdith) — Thu, 10 May 2012 00:10:33 +0000

Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. Matthew 7:13-14

We are living in an age of almost total unbelief as far as the Bible is concerned. There is a lot of religion but it is not according to “thus saith the Lord”. In this scripture, there are just two gates. There is a narrow gate and there is a wide gate. There are not a multitude of gates. The narrow gate leads to where? It leads to Heaven. The wide gate leads to where? It leads to destruction and Hell. There are not a multitude of ways to get to Heaven. You have to go through one gate to get on the narrow way that leads to Heaven.

Many people think that by being religious minded or being a part of an organization; that somehow you are associated with the One Way. They think that it will somehow get you on the narrow way. The Bahá'í religion built a temple in Chicago and it has nine doors. Each door into the temple is for a different prophet and religion. The doors are for Abraham, Moses, Buddha, Taoism, Jesus, Krishna, Mohammad, Zarathustra, and Bahá'í . They say that they all lead to God; but not one of them will lead to the straight and narrow way. We can’t be born into a family that is religious and get on the way. We can’t go to a church and somehow become religious and learn church teachings and get on the way. We can’t be baptized and get on the way. What is it that gets us through the door of the gate? Repentance, there isn’t anything else. We have to repent the Bible way.

Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. John 14:6

If you looked at religious people around you; you might think the scripture said: I am one of the ways, part of the truth, one kind of life, no one comes to the Father unless they are religious, good, kind, or sincere in what they believe. Did Jesus say that? Jesus said: I am the way, the only true way. You can’t get to Heaven outside of Jesus. Being just church minded or religious minded doesn’t do it. You have to have a crisis experience where you know personally, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that you’ve repented and forsaken your sin. There is no other way that you can get through the gate.

There are a lot of people trying to get through the gate. You don’t just automatically stumble through the gate, it doesn’t work that way. You don’t just somehow stumble along and see an open gate and go through it and get on the narrow way. There has to be a deliberate choice on your part in order to get through that one gate.

Then said one unto him, Lord, are there few that be saved? And he said unto them, Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able. Luke 13:23-24

What does the word, strive mean?

to exert oneself vigorously,try hard
to make strenuous efforts toward anygoal
to contend in opposition, battle, or any conflict; compete
to struggle vigorously, as in opposition or resistance

There has to be some effort on your part. That is why you can’t just stumble through the gate and somehow be on the narrow way, it doesn’t work that way. You have to strive. You have to show effort on your part that you are willing to go God’s way. Jesus is the door of that gate and you can’t get through that door if you don’t come by his rule. So, just wanting to be religious and wanting to read your Bible, wanting to do your own thing; it doesn’t work that way. This scripture says; many will seek to enter in and shall not be able. How come they won’t be able? What is it that will keep people out of the narrow way? Not going through Jesus will keep people off the narrow way. Sin will keep people from going through the gate. If there is sin in your heart, there is no way that you can get in the gate. You must confess, repent and forsake all sin. There is a lot of confessing going on in religious organizations today, but not forsaking. They go right back and do the same thing. They are trying to get through the gate to the narrow way with their own ideas, their own opinions, and their own religious ideas.

There are two reasons why people are not willing to get on the narrow way, they are not willing to forsake their thoughts and they are not willing to forsake their way. They want to bring their thoughts and their way over onto the narrow way and it doesn’t work that way. They will never get through the gate. We’ve got to be willing to forsake our way and our thoughts.

It is vitally important that when we get on the way it is a deliberate decision on our part that we are going to forsake our way and our thoughts, all sin, and go God’s way.

And an highway shall be there, and a way, and it shall be called The way of holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it; but it shall be for those: the wayfaring men, though fools, shall not err therein. No lion shall be there, nor any ravenous beast shall go up thereon, it shall not be found there; but the redeemed shall walk there: And the ransomed of the LORD shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away. Isaiah 35:8-10

What is the narrow way called? It is the highway of holiness. That is the reason why there is no one on the highway, the way, the straight and narrow way with sin in their life. They have to have a holy experience. The only way is through repentance and completely forsaking sin.

Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. John 14:6

Jesus said that he is the way, truth, and the life. If you don’t love truth, you will love something else which is error or falseness. You will try to incorporate the error into the narrow way and it doesn’t fit, it won’t get through the gate. That is why we need to love truth and not forsake it. We can’t try to think that somehow our way can get on and expand the borders. We are going to go God’s way or we won’t go at all. God is the one that makes the rules, we have to go His way.

Will You Have Your Senses in Hell?

floral_dreams@yahoo.com (SisEdith) — Wed, 02 May 2012 20:26:28 +0000

There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day: And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores, And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. Luke 16:19-21

Some people have said that this passage of scripture is a parable. The Bible doesn’t say that it is a parable. Jesus said; there was a rich man. This was an actual happening. There was an actual man named Lazarus. The commentaries believe that the rich man he was a religious Jew, he was probably a Pharisee because he was very rich and wealthy. How did the Pharisees act? They thought that they were better than other people. Lazarus was sent right to his doorstep. All that he was getting was the crumbs from the rich man’s table, like a dog. The rich man was religious, but he had no salvation. He fared sumptuously every day. He went on about his way thinking; I’m ok, you’re ok, we’re all going to be ok, and didn’t concern himself about eternity. He woke up and lifted up his eyes and where was he?

And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried; And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. Luke 16:22-23

After he died, in hell he lifted up his eyes, he could see into Heaven. In Hell people will have their eyes. They may be blind on the earth, but they are going to see there. One of the things that they are going to be able to see is right into Heaven as they are in torment. Wasn’t he in torment? He was tormented. There will be wailing, gnashing of teeth, eternal fire, being burned, and torment all going on. Have you ever been where there have been several children crying and crying, all at the same time? It gets on your nerves doesn’t it? In Hell it is not going to be a quiet thing. People are going to be yelling and screaming in torment and they are going to be able to hear it.

And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame. But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented. And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence. Luke 16:24-26

The rich man was able to speak. He said; have mercy on me. Was there any mercy that was given? There is no mercy in Hell. There is no one that is going to answer anybody’s prayer in Hell. People are going to be praying, but there is no hope in Hell. Think about that. We have mercy here don’t we? We have hope here. We have to choose to love God with all of our heart, mind, soul, and strength. Otherwise we choose to go to Hell because we have refused what God wanted us to do in having our sins forgiven.

In Hell, there are feelings. The reason that we know that there are feelings is because the rich man said that he was tormented. If you get a migraine headache, are you tormented a little bit? What about if all your joints and your muscles ache? When you are really sick, you are tormented. This was worse torment than all of that. We can’t even imagine the torment. Every inch of their body is going to be tormented in the flame of fire but they will never be burned up.

In Hell, they will be able to hear. It has already been mentioned that they will hear the screams, screeching, and yelling and all of the tormenting noise. They will hear the wailing and the gnashing of teeth. The noise will be really loud and it is going to be disturbing. There will never be any comfort. No one is going to come and comfort anybody else. They will all be tormented in their own shrieks and commotion. There is no hope in Hell.

And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame. Luke 16:24

The rich man was able to taste. He had a tongue. What was he asking for? He was asking for one drop of water. Have you ever been thirsty and a cool drink of water tasted really good? If you go a day without water you get really thirsty. Some of you have had to have nothing to eat or drink before surgery or something. You get really thirsty. Think about it after a day or after a week. Are you going to be really thirsty? Here the rich man was tormented and he was dry, but he was still thirsting.

Think about the people that have habits on Earth such as drinking, smoking, or drugs. Do you think that their cravings will go away in Hell? They will still have the same cravings. There will not be any satisfaction for their cravings. There is not going to be any smoking in Hell. There is not going to be any liquor in Hell. There is not going to be any dope in Hell. People are going to be tormented in whatever things they gave themselves to. Those that gave in to lust and just wanted the lust of the flesh, they are going to be tormented and still wanting those things but it is never going to be satisfied.

But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented. And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence. Luke 16:25-26

The reason why the commentaries feel like the rich man was a religious Jew was because he called Abraham; Father Abraham. It was a common term for the Jews at that time. Abraham said; son you remember in your lifetime. Isn’t that what he said? In Hell a person is going to remember. They are going to remember every time that God spoke to their heart and they said; no. They are going to remember every time they sat in a church service and God dealt with them and pleaded with them and said; come and get saved; and they said; no. They are going to remember all of these things and it is going to be tormenting. They will say to themselves; why didn’t I, why didn’t I, but it will be too late because there is no hope there.

Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father's house: For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment. Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them. And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent. And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead. Luke 16:27-31

In Hell there is a memory, but there is no hope. There was no way for the rich man to get out of Hell. He couldn’t be prayed out of Hell. There are some organizations that say that if you give money to the priest he can pray someone out of Hell. There is no way for someone to get out of Hell and go to Heaven. There is no way for someone to get out of Heaven and go to Hell. At the Judgment our doom is set and we are the ones that make the choice. Choose to serve God today and love him with all of your heart.

Are You Trusting God Now?

floral_dreams@yahoo.com (SisEdith) — Wed, 02 May 2012 18:57:59 +0000

Trust in the Lord with all thine heart and lean not unto thine own understanding. Proverbs 3:5

Trust means that you are not going to depend on yourself, not going to depend on your feelings, not going to depend on outward circumstances. Trust is a firm belief in the character, ability, strength or truth of someone or something.

I recently read a book on Desert Storm which had a passage about a pilot and trust.

Trust Your Instruments
Inside every airplane are instruments that are critical to flying the aircraft. The instruments will give a true reading of how the aircraft is flying, even if a pilot's mind may tell him differently. On a clear, sunny day a pilot may not need some of these instruments, but at night or in poor visibility, these instruments become vital to his survival. Many planes have crashed because the pilot became disoriented and failed to trust his instruments.
While attending Texas A&M, Jeff Patton and I became friends as members of the Corps of Cadets. He is now Lt. Col. Jeff Patton and flew as an F-15 fighter pilot in Desert Storm. On the first night of the war, his mission was to escort a large formation of fighters in bombing a chemical weapons plant in northern Iraq. The date for Desert Storm was chosen because the absence of moonlight and the high clouds helped the attacking allied fighters from being detected by enemy defenses. Flying in total darkness, the pilots became completely dependent upon their instruments.
Shortly after crossing into Iraq, Col. Patton's jet was "locked on" to by an Iraqi surface-to-air missile radar. He violently maneuvered his aircraft to break the radar's lock on him. His maneuver successfully broke the lock, but it created a new problem. Those radical movements in the dark threw off the balance in his inner ear (which is what happens when a person gets dizzy), causing him to become disoriented.
His mind was telling him his plane was in a climbing right turn, but when he checked his instruments, they indicated he was in a 60 degree dive towards the ground! He was sure he was in a climb instead of a dive, and his mind was screaming at him to lower the nose of his F-15 to halt the climb. While his mind commanded him to correct the plane in one direction, his instruments instructed him to do just the opposite. Because he was flying in total darkness, he had to decide quickly whether to trust his mind or his instruments. His life depended on making the correct choice.
Even though it took everything within him to overcome what his mind was telling him, he decided to trust his instruments. He rolled his wings level and pulled his F-15 upward, which drew seven times the force of gravity, pulling the aircraft out of its dive. It only took a few moments to realize he had made the right decision. If he had lowered the nose of his jet like his mind had been telling him, he would have crashed the plane. Trusting his instruments saved his life!
Immediately he looked at his altimeter, which told him the elevation of his aircraft. He had narrowly escaped colliding into the mountains of Iraq by just 2,000 feet. Although he had made the correct decision by trusting his instruments, he realized if he had delayed just three more seconds his plane would have crashed into the mountains. Even right decisions can be wrong ones if they are made too late.
(Kent Crockett, The 911 Handbook, Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers, 2003, 17-18)

If the pilot had only made the decision only three seconds later, he would have crashed.

And Caleb stilled the people before Moses, and said, Let us go up at once, and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it. But the men that went up with him said, We be not able to go up against the people; for they are stronger than we. Num 13:30-31

What is the difference between Caleb and Joshua’s report and the other ten men? Caleb trusted what God said. He said that they would be able to overcome it because God said that he would give them the land. Did the other men believe? No, they thought it was too hard; they had no confidence in God. They were putting their confidence in themselves. When they put confidence in themselves, they started exaggerating the problems. If you lack faith, your problems are going to seem bigger to you than what they really are.

I have seen people who have complained about situations that were actually pretty small, but in their minds they were huge mounds. The reason is that they didn’t trust God. When you start leaning on your own ideas and your own opinions, and how you see things out of your literal eyes, you are going to be just like the ten spies. It causes unbelief. God wants us to look through the eye of faith. Look not at the situation, not at the problem, but at the promises. If God says it, it is going to be that way. It is just like the pilot who had to trust his instruments not his mind, not what he felt, not what it seemed to him.

Have you ever been in a situation where it seemed like you needed to do one thing but God was saying to do something else? You have to pull your whole self over to what God wants and say that you are going to trust God. If you trust yourself, and trust your mind, and trust your ideas and opinions, you will make shipwreck. That is why we need to trust God with all of our heart. Unbelief will try to get you to trust yourself, trust your opinions, and trust your ideas. If it contrary to the Word of God: you’ve got to trust God’s word above everything or everyone else.

Blessed is the man that trusteth in the LORD, and whose hope the LORD is. For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit. Jeremiah 17:7-8

Are You on the Broad Way that Leads to Hell?

floral_dreams@yahoo.com (SisEdith) — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 17:37:19 +0000

Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. Matthew 7:13-14

There is a strait way and there is a broad way. What does the word, strait mean? It means difficult, narrow, confined, restricted. It also means to draw tight, strict, rigid, distressing. The scripture says to enter in at the strait gate. It means that there will be rules and it will not be like the broad way. It will be completely different.

And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. Luke 9:23

People out on the broad way aren’t denying themselves, aren’t taking up their cross, and aren’t following Jesus. They are following their own way in things. It is vitally important to obey Jesus. You don’t hear a lot about Hell. People are joking about Hell and making a lot of fun. They think it is funny.

The world is full of unbelief and somehow they think that Hell is going to be a nice place. You’ve probably heard people say that they are probably going to Hell but their friends will be there also so it won’t be that bad. There are a lot of things that people are saying about Hell that is not true. There is a broad way and the broad way leads to destruction. What is destruction? Destruction is Hell. There is a Heaven to gain and a Hell to shun. We need to make sure that we are on the right way.

Another article that Irecently read was about Tom Huxley. He lived in the nineteenth century and promoted Humanism, which is against Christianity. Huxley was an agnostic. He was in Dublin, Ireland one time. He got into a taxi, which was a horse and buggy, and said; I’m in a hurry, go as fast as you can”. They started out and went really fast. Huxley leaned back and closed his eyes and was resting. Then he thought to himself that they should have arrived at his destination. He opened his eyes and looked out the window and saw that they were going the wrong way. Then he realized that he hadn’t told the driver where to go. He had just said to go really fast.

The world is just that way. They are going really fast and don’t realize that they are going to Hell. Since they are going fast they think that it is ok. That is a reason why we really need to carry a burden for all the lost souls. They are not going to carry a burden for themselves and they are on their way to Hell as fast as they can go. We need to pray that the Lord will help us to have a burden for them.

Repent and Believe

floral_dreams@yahoo.com (SisEdith) — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 23:36:31 +0000

Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel. Mark 1:14-15

When Jesus started preaching, his message was; repent and then believe the gospel. Can a person believe the gospel without repenting? No, they can’t. A lot of people, the world over, say that they believe. What does the word, believe, mean? It means obey, trust in, and to know something of a certainty. Believe means trust in, rely on, adhere to the gospel , cleave to, and obey. So, just having a head knowledge doesn’t do it. We have to repent and then believe the gospel. What does the word, repent, mean? Repent means to turn away from. We were going down a road to Hell, doing our own thing.

There has to be a crisis experience where we repent and forsake sin and turn completely around and go toward God. Religion doesn’t give you a crisis experience. Christian education doesn’t give you a crisis experience. Being baptized as an infant doesn’t give you a crisis experience. Just joining church doesn’t give you a crisis experience. There has to be something down in the heart where we know that we are a sinner, we want to forsake sin, we are sorry for our sins, we leave sin, and we go towards God and live the way that God wants us to live.

In the scripture where it says to repent and believe the gospel, repentance has to be first. It has to be complete repentance where we want God’s way above our way regardless of what man says. We are going to be judged by the scriptures. It isn’t religion that judges us. It is God’s word that judges us. There is a strong spirit of unbelief in the world today. Some people can have unbelief because they have never heard the gospel. If they don’t know what they are supposed to do, they will not believe it. The strongest spirit of unbelief in the world is false religion. False religion has a lot of teachings that are contrary to the bible. We are in the season of Easter. It is vitally important that we believe that Jesus is the Christ and that he is Lord and that he is the Messiah. It is vitally important that we believe that he died and rose again. If we don’t believe that, we have a spirit of unbelief working on us.

But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. Hebrews 11:6

There is one half of one percent, the world over, that believe that they may go to Hell. Jehovah Witnesses don’t believe in Hell. Mormons don’t believe in Hell. Communism doesn’t believe in Hell. There is a multitude of so-called Christian religions that don’t believe in Hell. Episcopalians don’t believe in Hell. There is a multitude of so-called Christian religions that don’t believe that Jesus is a Messiah and that he was resurrected from the dead. They believe in reincarnation. They believe in praying people out of purgatory. They believe a multitude of things, but they don’t believe what the Word of God teaches.

Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God. But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end; While it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation. For some, when they had heard, did provoke: howbeit not all that came out of Egypt by Moses. But with whom was he grieved forty years? was it not with them that had sinned, whose carcases fell in the wilderness? And to whom sware he that they should not enter into his rest, but to them that believed not? So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief. Hebrews 3:12-19

We first have to repent in order to believe the Word of God. False teachings have caused a multitude of unbelief in the world today. Jesus talked to the Pharisees and Sadducees. They were religious Jews. Do the Jews believe in Jesus as the Messiah? They don’t. Think about the multitude of people that really don’t believe the bible. That is the reason why we need to have a burden for souls because people are dying and going to Hell. A big majority of them don’t even think that there is a Hell and that is the sad part.

Unbelief causes people to believe a lot of things, religious ideas, but it doesn’t do anything to their soul. It will never free them from sin. One of the strongest spirits of unbelief, in religion today, is that you have to sin more or less every day. So-called Christian religions believe that. But, God has an experience that will deliver us and free us from sin. We have to make sure that we are not just religious minded, but that we have a crisis experience that we can point back to where we know definitely that we repented and forsook sin.

Are You Ready for the End of Time?

floral_dreams@yahoo.com (SisEdith) — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 16:47:14 +0000

But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? 2 Peter 3:10-12

We are living in the last days. What does this scripture say is going to happen to this earth? It’s going to be burned up. Is it going to burn over? No, it is going to burn up. It shall be dissolved. When something is dissolved, it is gone. What did God create the earth with? He just spoke it into existence. God can do whatever he wants to with this earth. There is coming a time when it is going to be completely burned up and dissolved.

But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only. But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. Matthew 24:36-39

None of us know when God is going to call a halt to the earth. As in the days of Noah shall it be in the ends of the earth. How long did Noah preach to the people? He preached one hundred years. It has been a lot longer than that so God can come anytime.

Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come. But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up. Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh. Matthew 24:42-44

We need to make sure that our heart is ready to meet God. If there is sin in our lives we will not make it. We will not be ready.

When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.
Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:
For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.
Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?
And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.
Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not.
Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee?
Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me. And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal. Matthew 25:31-46

Love One Another as I Have Loved You

floral_dreams@yahoo.com (SisEdith) — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 17:20:29 +0000

Put them in mind to be subject to principalities and powers, to obey magistrates, to be ready to every good work, To speak evil of no man, to be no brawlers, but gentle, shewing all meekness unto all men. For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another. But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared, Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour; That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life. Titus 3:1-7

When it says speak evil of no men, how many men can you speak evil of? When it says showing meekness to all men, is that meekness that you show to some that you like? God wants us to love with the same kind of love that he loved us with.

The enemy wants Christians to get hatred in their heart when they are going through hard times or when he is coming after them. The enemy may come after you through people. It isn’t the people that we hate; it is the actions that we hate. We have to love the soul. Every one of us was ugly in sin. Our heart was ugly. After the love of God and kindness towards men appeared to us, it changed us when we were willing to repent. Where it says love your enemies, it is the same kind of love that God has for his enemy. The only way that we can have it is to be saved and then be filled with the love of God in sanctification. If you still have a carnal heart, you may be saved, but there will be times when that carnality will rise up and want its own way. There will be things of the flesh that come out, little attitudes here and little attitudes there. You will need to repent of them. God wants there to not be any wrong attitudes coming out of the heart because it is a pure heart where the love of God has filled it.

When Abraham Lincoln was running for president, there was a man that ran around the country saying unkind things about him. Sometimes the man would even talk about his looks saying; you don’t want a tall, lanky, ignorant man like this to be president of the United States.

Finally, one day Abraham Lincoln was elected president of the United States, then came the time for him to choose a Secretary of War. He looked across the nation, and decided to choose a man by the name of Mr. Stanton. And when Abraham Lincoln stood around his advisors and mentioned this fact, they said to him: "Mr. Lincoln, are you a fool? Do you know what Mr. Stanton has been saying about you? Do you know what he has done, tried to do to you? Do you know that he has tried to defeat you on every hand? Do you know that, Mr. Lincoln? Did you read all of those derogatory statements that he made about you?" Abraham Lincoln stood before the advisors around him and said: "Oh yes, I know about it; I read about it; I’ve heard him myself. But after looking over the country, I find that he is the best man for the job."

Mr. Stanton did become Secretary of War, and a few months later, Abraham Lincoln was assassinated. And if you go to Washington, you will discover that one of the greatest words or statements ever made by, about Abraham Lincoln was made about this man Stanton. If Abraham Lincoln had held a grudge and hated Mr. Stanton for what he had said about him and done to him, he would have gone to his grave hating. If Mr. Stanton hadn’t had the love of Abraham Lincoln shown to him, he would have still hated Lincoln. Because Abraham Lincoln was willing to forgive him and say that he was still the best man for the Secretary of War job and he wanted him, they became friends and worked together real well. Mr. Stanton was won over to be a friend of Abraham Lincoln. How do you work when people say a lot of things about you? Our attitude is vitally important. What God is looking for is sons and daughters that show the same kind of love that he has.

A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another. John 13:34-35

The only way that the world is going to see that we are different and our righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the Pharisees and scribes is if we have love one to another but also love for the world. Love for those that hate us, love for those that despitefully use us, isn’t that what he is asking us, those that persecute us? But, if we have the same attitude as what the world does, they are not going to know that there is a difference because there isn’t any difference. We’ve got to show that there is a difference by our attitude towards those that are despitefully using us, those that are hating us, those that are persecuting us.

But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same? And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so? Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect. Matthew 5:44-48

It is vitally important for you to pray for your enemies. Pray for those who despitefully use you and persecute you. When you are at work or there are family members that you are having problems with, you need to be on your knees praying for them. You shouldn’t be praying for God to send fire down on them. You should be praying that God would somehow deal with them. Our ultimate goal is for them to get salvation. Isn’t that our ultimate goal?

God's Compassion

floral_dreams@yahoo.com (SisEdith) — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 18:44:12 +0000

It is of the LORD'S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness. Lamentations 3:22-23

It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed. His compassion fail not.They are new every morning; great is thy faithfulness. Isn’t that good? Aren’t you glad his compassion fails not? It is because of His compassion that we are saved. We have been delivered from sin because God is full of compassion.

But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd. Matthew 9:36

Jesus was full of compassion. He was moved with compassion when he saw the multitude and how they fainted and were scattered. There was something in him that longed to help the people. Jesus’ compassion caused him to take action. Compassion will always cause us to take action. It will cost us something, time and effort. It’s essential in our service to God.

Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous: 1 Peter 3:8

We need to be full of compassion one to another, and for all mankind.

The definition of compassion is: sorrow for suffering or trouble of another with the urge to help; pity, or deep sympathy; tenderness; mercy; sympathy; kindness; deep awareness of suffering of another with the desire to relive it; understanding.

The opposite of compassion is: mercilessness, indifferent, selfish, self-willed, unloving, cold, unfeeling, self-centered, full of pride. “It doesn’t concern me”. “I don’t need to get involved”.

And the word of the LORD came unto Zechariah, saying, Thus speaketh the LORD of hosts, saying, Execute true judgment, and shew mercy and compassions every man to his brother: And oppress not the widow, nor the fatherless, the stranger, nor the poor; and let none of you imagine evil against his brother in your heart. But they refused to hearken, and pulled away the shoulder, and stopped their ears, that they should not hear. Yea, they made their hearts as an adamant stone, lest they should hear the law, and the words which the LORD of hosts hath sent in his spirit by the former prophets: therefore came a great wrath from the LORD of hosts. Therefore it is come to pass, that as he cried, and they would not hear; so they cried, and I would not hear, saith the LORD of hosts: Zechariah 7:8-13

We need to show mercy and compassion to everyone. The people would not listen to God. They stopped their ears, and made their heart hard like a stone. What happened to God’s compassion? Did the compassion of God stop? YES! What stopped the compassion of God? They became so hardhearted. When they prayed to God, he would not listen to them.

It is important to keep compassion in our hearts so God will have compassion on us. It is important to do what God asks us to do. We don’t want to get into a place where God does not hear our prayer. If we allow sin into our lives or we let our heart get hard towards the message, we are going to start wanting to cry but God will not hear us because our heart is too hard. We have to keep a tender and soft heart.

God’s compassion is towards those that love him and his compassion fails not. If God deals with an individual and continually they stop their ears, they get their heart hard and they are not going to hear, God’s compassion is going to stop. We don’t want to be in that place.

Are You Willing to Let Christ Carry Your Load?

floral_dreams@yahoo.com (SisEdith) — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 17:37:26 +0000

Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. Matthew 11:28-30

It is vitally important that Jesus said; come to me all ye that labor and are heavy laden. It is that heavy laden of sin, that bondage of sin that you are not able to get rid of on your own. Jesus says; take my yoke and learn of me. It is so good that we can learn of Christ, because his way is so much better. If you feel like being yoked with Jesus is hard, you better think again, because God’s way is easy.

For mine iniquities are gone over mine head: as an heavy burden they are too heavy for me. Psalms 38:4

One of the things about being yoked with Christ is that we can cast our cares over on him. He doesn’t want us to be carrying them by ourselves. He wants to carry them for us. Many years ago, a lady was carrying two big bags down the road. Somebody stopped in a wagon and told her to hop up on the wagon and they would help her get to where she was going and they would help carry her load. The woman got up on the wagon, but she kept holding the bags. They stopped and asked her why she was still holding onto her bags. She said that she didn’t want them to be too heavy on the wagon.

Sometimes Christians think that they just have to carry their load of life. Why do you have to carry your load? They think that it may be too heavy on Christ. Jesus said to cast all of your cares on him. He said to cast all of our burdens on him because he cares for us. If we want to carry our own cares and our own load, it is because we are not meek and lowly and following the directions of Christ. When people are burdened down and fretting and worrying and stewing and carrying things, it is because they have not committed it and given it over to Christ. When you commit everything over to Christ, you shall find rest for your soul. Until you commit everything, you are not going to have that rest. That is why it is so easy when yoking up with Christ is because he gives us that rest.

Cast thy burden upon the LORD, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved. Psalms 55:22

Love Your Enemies, Bless Them That Curse You

floral_dreams@yahoo.com (BroRichard) — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 19:31:44 +0000

The very first commandment is what? Thou shall love the Lord with all thy heart, mind, soul, and strength. The second is likened unto it. Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. There are over six hundred laws in the Old Testament. If you do these two commandments, you will fulfill all of the laws. It has to come from the heart. You cannot just have a form of religion and love God with all of your heart, mind, soul, and strength. That is an impossibility. You also won’t be able to love your neighbor as yourself.

But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same? And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so? Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect. Matthew 5:44-48

Matthew, chapter 5, 6, and 7 are the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus dealt with a lot of things in the three chapters. Where the scripture says, love thy enemy and hate thy neighbor, was that in the original law? This is something that the scribes had added to the law. Jesus is turning it around. You can’t have love for your enemies on your own. You don’t have love for your enemy just naturally. The carnal man does not love their enemy. There is a “get even” spirit.

There was recently a story about a truck driver that was traveling on the Interstate. It was lunchtime so he stopped at his favorite diner. He had ordered mashed potatoes, meatloaf, green beans, and coffee. When his meal came, seven bikers entered the diner. The diner was almost full. There was one empty table next to the truck driver. Four of the bikers sat at the table next to him. There were three still standing because there was no more room. One of the bikers said to the truck driver that he thought he was finished. The truck driver said that he had just gotten my meal. The biker swiped his finger across the truck driver’s mashed potatoes and tasted them. The biker said that it was good grub. Another biker picked up the truck driver’s coffee and slowly poured it over the food on his plate. Then he told the truck driver that he was finished. The truck driver wiped his face, paid for his meal, and walked out.

The waitress came over to take the bikers’ orders. The bikers commented that the truck driver wasn’t much of a man because he didn’t stand up for himself. The waitress said that he wasn’t much of a truck driver either. He had backed his big rig over several motorcycles in the parking lot.

On the outward, the truck driver seemed like he had handled it pretty good. A lot of people are that way. On the outward, one-on-one they seem to handle things pretty good. However, in the back of their mind, they are thinking that they will get even. Every one of us, before we were saved, had a get even spirit. You may think that you didn’t have one. When someone did you wrong, did you ever talk about it and let everybody else know about it? Where the scripture says, bless them that curse you, what does that mean? The word, bless, in the Greek, means speak well of. Nowhere in the Bible does it say that you have a right to gossip and tear somebody down just because they are mean to you, or because they wronged you, or because they have done something bad towards you. The scripture says bless them that curse you.

And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these. Mark 12:30-31

What Are the Enemy's Tactics?

floral_dreams@yahoo.com (SisEdith) — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 08:00:00 +0000

Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: 1 Peter 5:8

The enemy of our soul is out for every one of us. We are in a strong battle. The Devil doesn’t care what tactic he uses against us. Just as long as he feels like he can get us that is what his ultimate goal is. The warning is that every one of us needs to be aware of the tactics of the enemy. God doesn’t want us to be ignorant of the enemy’s devices.

Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness. 2 Peter 3:17

What are some of the tactics of the enemy of our soul? Some of his tactics are busyness, imagination, discouragement, accusations, and carelessness. The devices of the enemy are tricky. The Devil isn’t straightforward with what he does, it is always underhanded. His tactics are tricky and cunning and sly, subtle, using deceit. The Devil is a liar. There is not one thing that the Devil says that is the truth.

Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it. John 8:44

Is there any truth in the Devil? There is no truth in the Devil. You need to make sure that registers really well. When the Devil confronted Eve, he was trying to twist the truth. He said that God didn’t really mean exactly what he had said. The Devil isn’t any different today. He will try to twist the truth to cause us to believe a lie instead of believing it just like God said.

The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. John 10:10

The thief, which is the Devil, is there to steal, kill, and destroy. He is going to do it any way that he can. That is why we must be on our guard. The only way that we can be on guard is to have on the whole armor of God. If we don’t have the whole armor on, the enemy will find a way to get at us.

Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints; Ephesians 6:10-18

There isn’t any way that you can win over the Devil by yourself. You can’t make a truce with the enemy. You can’t make a covenant with the enemy and think that you will somehow win. We have to be strong in the power of God and not in ourselves. Our victory depends on who our captain is. If we think that we can be our own captain and overcome whatever the enemy comes against us with, we will fail. We have to be strong in the Lord and the power of his might and not our own. A lot of people have thought that they can handle things by themselves. Have you ever heard that? A lot of people are trying to handle things by themselves and they fail. God wants us to lean over on him. Who is our captain anyway? Jesus is our captain.

Does Your Mouth Have an 'Off' Button?

edithrn@att.net (SisEdith) — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 17:43:41 +0000

O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things. But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned. Matthew 12:34-3

Idle words- words that are careless and accomplish nothing. They give no instruction nor grace to them that hear them. Idle words are vain, empty, wicked, injurious, lacking worth or basis. Idle words don’t benefit anyone. Gossiping, grumbling, telling lies, do these things benefit anyone? God wants what comes out of our mouth to administer grace to the hearer and to edify them. There are idle words that will not minister grace to the hearer. Those words will not help the person’s ears or benefit them in any way. If what you are about to say is only idle words, then it will be best if you kept your mouth closed.

Thomas Edison built the Dictaphone. At a banquet they introduced him as the inventor of the talking machine. He said that God had made the first talking machine; his invention was the first one that could be turned off. We need to have an “off” button on our mouth. There are a lot of things that come into our head that should never be spoken verbally. This scripture says men will give account of every idle word. Since we got saved, there is a tape recorder of every word we have said. We need to really get the picture that we will be judged by our words. By our own words we shall be justified and by our own words we shall be condemned. We don’t know what each other talks about all day long, but God knows what we talk about all day long.

My Name is Gossip
I am more deadly than the screaming shell of the cannon.
I win without killing.
I tear down homes, break hearts, and wreck lives.
I travel on the wings of the wind.
No innocence is strong enough to intimidate me,
no purity pure enough to daunt me.
I have no regard for truth, no respect for justice,
no mercy for the defenseless.
My victims are as numerous as the sands of the sea
and often as innocent.
I never forget and I never forgive.
My name is Gossip.

Ask God to help us to put a watch before our mouth so that whatever comes out will minister grace and edification to the hearers. Then there will be kindness when speaking. We will not be going around behind someone’s back and saying things.

Whoso keepeth his mouth and his tongue keepeth his soul from troubles. Proverbs 21:23

If you keep your mouth and your tongue, you will keep your soul from trouble.

He that hath knowledge spareth his words: and a man of understanding is of an excellent spirit. Even a fool, when he holdeth his peace, is counted wise: and he that shutteth his lips is esteemed a man of understanding. Proverbs 17:27-28

If you have knowledge, you will spare your words. Even a fool, if he will just hold his mouth, he will be counted as wise.

"It is better to keep your mouth shut and be thought to be a fool than to open it and remove all doubt."

If we think before we speak, there will be fewer things come out of our mouth that will be hurtful. We won’t say things that will hurt or injure anyone. If you think before you speak, the words that you say will be more important. The words will be necessary and kind. If what comes out of your mouth is critical, and hurtful and you want to say whatever is on your mind, the enemy put it there. The enemy of your soul puts a lot of things in your mind that you had better not say out of your mouth because you will have to repent of them and ask God to forgive you.

Set a watch, O LORD, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips.Psalms 141:3
Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer.Psalms 19:14

Why Should You Guard Your Tongue?

floral_dreams@yahoo.com (SisEdith) — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 19:09:49 +0000

Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth! James 3:5

Some of you may remember our former Pastor, Brother Sam Mc Conohea, showing his teeth and calling them our "personal pearly gate." He would say that we needed to guard our gate so that we kept our tongue in its place- behind the gate. All down through time people have made shipwreck because of their mouth. We have to keep a watch on our own mouth; somebody else can’t keep a watch for us.

In 1938, there was a 60-minute program on the radio called the War of the Worlds by Orson Wells. The show was aired on the Columbia Broadcasting Company. For the first forty minutes of the program, it was newscasters giving information about how we had been invaded by aliens from Mars. During that forty minute time period, many people turned on their radio, unaware of the program, so what they heard was one newscaster after another. They were hearing the newscasters saying that the United States had been invaded by aliens from Mars. The information put a lot of people in panic. When they found out that it wasn’t true, they were angry. Words are powerful and can do a lot of things.

The Great Plague was in the world in the Fourteenth Century. There was a story that went around that said that the Jews had caused it by poisoning the well systems in the towns. What happened to the Jews? There was a massacre of the Jews. People were so angry because of the plague that was going on. They were thinking that the Jews had caused it. The Jews didn’t have anything to do with it. It was a gossip story that had been started and so they killed thousands of Jews because they thought that they had polluted the water system.

Some of you may remember Bernard Goetz in the 1980’s. He shot four young people in the New York Subway system. In the first trial, he was prosecuted and let off from murder. He was only given a sentence for unlawfully carrying a handgun. After the acquittal, he started talking. The more that he talked, the more people got concerned, so they opened up the case. They had a Grand Jury trial that found him guilty of second-degree murder. He was jailed. It was all because he opened his mouth. If he had just kept it closed after the first trial, he would have been fine. A lot of people think they can talk about this and that and there won’t be any harm. We need to guard what we say.

Set a watch, O Lord, before my mouth: keep the door of my lips. Psalm 141:3

Do You Trust God with All Your Heart?

edithrn@att.net (SisEdith) — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 19:56:02 +0000

Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. Proverbs 3:5-6

What does it mean to trust? When we sit down on a chair, we are trusting that the chair will hold us up. When you lay in your bed at night, you trust your bed to hold you up. You are not laying there worrying and wondering if the legs of the bed are going to fall out. That isn’t in your mind at all because you have complete trust. Trust is confident expectation of something or confidence in the certainty of the future fulfillment of something; It is reliance on the integrity, strength, and ability of a person. Trust and faith go hand in hand. Trust is to rely on; to commit to; to put something confidently in the charge of somebody else.

And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.Mark 12:30

If we are going to trust God with all of our heart, we first have to love him with all of our heart. If we don’t love God with all of our heart, there will be times when we don’t trust him with all our heart, but we will begin to lean on our own understanding. Our own understanding is our way, our ideas, our personal opinion. God doesn’t want that: he wants us to trust him.

Back in 1860, Charles Blondin took a rope and stretched it across Niagra Falls. The rope was 3.25 inches around and eleven hundred feet long. That is equal to three NFL football fields. He stretched it one hundred sixty feet above the Falls. Charles was an acrobat and a tightrope walker; he had been walking on tightropes since he was five years old. The first time that he walked across the Falls, he used his balancing stick. The second time he threw away the balancing stick away and walked without it. They blindfolded him and he walked across. He put on stilts and walked across. One time he took a hot-plate and some eggs. In the middle of his walk, he made an omelet and ate it. His demonstrations were in front of thousands of people.

One time the Prince of Wales was in the crowd that was watching. Charles wheeled a wheelbarrow across the falls. When he returned from the other side, he asked the crowd a question. He asked how many people believed that he could carry a person across the rope in the wheel barrow. Everybody said they believed that he could. There were about ten thousand people in the crowd. He went to the Prince of Wales and told him to get in the wheelbarrow. The Prince declined to get in. Then he asked the crowd if any of them were willing to get into the wheelbarrow. No one was willing to get in at first. After a while, a little old lady came from the crowd and was willing to get in. He pushed her across and pushed her back. It was his mother. She had confidence that she could put her life in his hands.

When we trust in God, God wants us to commit all of us into his hands so that he can do with us whatever he wants. When the man was tight-rope walking across the Niagara Falls with someone in his wheelbarrow; did that person have any control of their own life? They didn’t. The wheelbarrow was supporting them, but they had confidence in the one that was wheeling the wheelbarrow. We have to put ourselves completely in the hands of God.

A lot of people say that they believe, but they are not willing to get into the wheelbarrow. We have to be willing to trust God that whatever he wants us to do, go wherever he has us go, and whatever the trial is, we must be willing to get in the wheelbarrow. We don’t get up in the middle of the rope and say; oh you are not doing this right so let me push the wheelbarrow. We must be willing to take our hands off, stay in the wheelbarrow and let God do the pushing. A lot of people, the world over, are saying; I believe, but they really are not trusting God with their life. We have to trust God with all the situations of life or we will be leaning on our own understanding. When it says; trust God, God wants us to trust him with all of our heart.

Loving God with all of our heart is a commitment that we have to make. It isn’t an emotion, it isn’t a feeling. There will be times that you don’t feel like you love God. It has to be a commitment or a choice. When the scripture says that "God so loved the world that he gave his only Son," was it a feeling? Before salvation we were not lovely and didn’t deserve love, but God chose to love us anyway. We have to choose to love God with all of our heart regardless of how we feel emotionally, physically, or mentally. When we make that choice to love God with all of our heart, he wants us to trust him with our whole life. We must commit everything into his hands. It is a daily thing. You may think you have everything committed one day but something else will come up the next day and you will not expect it. You must commit that when it comes. We may say a lot out of our mouth, but when the tests come, how we respond will determine if we have committed to love God no matter what comes or goes. Trust is the reliance on the integrity, strength, and ability of God. Don’t you believe that He has the situations of our lives planned so much better than we can?

He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool: but whoso walketh wisely, shall be delivered.Proverbs 28:26

Will You Accept God's Reproof?

edithrn@att.net (SisEdith) — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 18:11:30 +0000

All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: 2 Timothy 3:16

Reproof is correction. If we get to the place where we feel like we don’t need correction, we are going to miss the mark. If we think that we know it all, we don’t know anything. We must have the attitude of; Lord you show me, Lord you teach me, you help me. If all we are is full of our own ideas and our own ways, God will not be able to teach us. We have to be in a position where he can teach us a better way.

Reproof gives us the correct information. It rebukes us. It repairs the wrongs that we’ve done. Every one of us will have had things we didn’t do right. Even if you have been saved ten years, twenty years, thirty years; there still will be areas in your life that you can improve upon.

He, that being often reproved hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy. Proverbs 29:1

God is a god of longsuffering, but God wants us to move under the correction. Isn’t it a blessing when you correct your children and then they obey you? It is a greater blessing if they take the warning and instruction ahead of time so that they don’t have to be corrected. An example would be warning them to not go into the street because it is dangerous. If they go into the street they have to be corrected. If they heeded the warning, they would not have to be corrected.

God warns us many times about situations. He wants us to heed the warnings and admonitions so that we can stay on the narrow way. The scripture says neck but it doesn’t mean our physical neck. It means our heart because God deals with our heart. God can reprove and reprove and reprove. If every time, when the reproof comes and the person doesn’t take the reproof, God will reprove again. How do you get hardened? The admonition is coming; but you don’t do it. The admonition comes to read the bible and pray every day, but you don’t do it. The admonition comes to stick by the Lord every day, but you don’t do it. How many of you have heard that you need to read your bible and pray every day? You have all heard it. What happens when people start to backslide? Their heart starts getting hard thinking that they don’t have to read their bible and pray every day. They hear it but they won’t do it.

God has a lot of instruction in the church sermon, but if you do not listen, you won’t get it.

Now therefore hearken unto me, O ye children: for blessed are they that keep my ways. Hear instruction, and be wise, and refuse it not. Blessed is the man that heareth me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at the posts of my doors. For whoso findeth me findeth life, and shall obtain favour of the LORD. But he that sinneth against me wrongeth his own soul: all they that hate me love death. Proverbs 8:32-36

To "hearken" means to listen. In order for you to hear, you have to listen. If we have our mind so cluttered up with the things of this life and we are just distracted, God will be speaking to us and we will not hear it.

Turn you at my reproof: behold, I will pour out my spirit unto you, I will make known my words unto you. Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded; But ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would none of my reproof: I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh; Proverbs 1:23-26

Our attitude towards reproof and correction is very important. God knows whether we take the gospel message to our heart or whether we don’t. He knows whether we are like the people in the book of Ezekiel who loved to come to church and sing the songs but went right out to do their own thing. He knows whether we receive the reproof or not. God wants to see some correction in our lives when he reproves us. If we have been lazy about our prayer life, he wants to see a correction. If we’ve been lazy about reading our bible, there needs to be a correction. Anything in our life that we have allowed to come in, when God shows us, there needs to be a correction. God’s reproof is going to be there.

And the LORD God of their fathers sent to them by his messengers, rising up betimes, and sending; because he had compassion on his people, and on his dwelling place: But they mocked the messengers of God, and despised his words, and misused his prophets, until the wrath of the LORD arose against his people, till there was no remedy. 2 Chronicles 36:15-16

Take the reproof and correction of God’s word when it comes whether you read it in the Word of God, hear it in the church sermon, or hear it in a class. If it is God’s word, you need to take it and apply it to your life and God will help you to grow in him.

Are You Willing to Suffer to the End?

floral_dreams@yahoo.com (SisEdith) — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 17:41:03 +0000

But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you. 1 Peter 5:10

Being perfect, established, strengthened and settled doesn’t come until after you have suffered a while. In the Greek, the word for perfect means, adjust. When suffering comes, God wants us to adjust in order for us to be perfect. There are things that he will show us that we can do better. It will be that way all through our life. It takes suffering to be perfect, established, strengthened, and settled.

When we first got saved we had a determination to serve God. We wanted to please him. As trials come, we have to keep that determination. We have to have a determination to go all the way. When the trials come and the suffering comes we still have to have the determination to go all the way. That is the only thing that will build character in us. Some of us were not very good characters when we got saved. Our characteristics were not very good. There were a lot of things that we needed to learn. It is through suffering that we learn how to do things better.

Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. 2 Timothy 3:12

This scripture is a promise. If you want an easy way, you will not get it if you want to make it to heaven. The flesh likes things that are easy. This is a promise - that all who live Godly shall suffer. There will be things that come against us. We have to get it settled, that we will go through persecutions and suffer.

If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us: 2 Timothy 2:12

What does the Bible mean when it says - to suffer? It is something that is painful; it is anything that causes harm, loss, injury, any unpleasantness, anything that we don’t like personally that comes against the flesh. We have to be willing to endure and bear the suffering. If we don’t have a determination, we will not endure to the end.

There were two thieves on their crosses when Jesus was crucified. One of the thieves repented but the other one didn’t. How many of them suffered? They all three suffered. How many people in this world suffer? Everybody does. It isn’t just the saints. But we have a God of all grace that will help us through the suffering. The people out in the world don’t have this comfort.

Can or Can't ~ Will or Won't

edithrn@att.net (SisEdith) — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 22:19:12 +0000

I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.
Philipians 4:13

Our mindset is vitally important to whether we are going to be successful serving God. We need to be willing to face and go through whatever we may face. Every one of us at some time has said; I can’t. When serving God, God wants us to have a mindset of I can.

CAN AND CAN'T
Can and can't once ran a race.
Can fell down and hurt his face,
But up he jumped and on he ran,
The persevering little man.

In spite of all Can't did or said,
Can kept on going straight ahead.
Can't did not wish to be the last,
Nor did he want to run so fast,
And so he shouted, "Don't you see
That you can never outrun me?"

But Can replied, "That's just your way.
You're telling people every day
They can't do this, and can't do that,
That black is white and the earth is flat;
But you'll not conquer me, for I
Will win this race or die."

They kept on running many years,
And Can at times shed bitter tears
Over the troubles that he met
And oftentimes would weary get.

His feet were sore, the way was rough,
The road did not seem short enough.
He sometimes ran and sometimes hopped,
But never, never, never stopped.

At last Can't halted by the way,
And said, "Now I will rest and play."
And so he waited while his friend
Kept on until he reached the end.
And Can't was left far in the rear
Because he would not persevere.

Can won the race while Can't stood still
He always has, and always will.

Just having a desire won’t get you there. We have to do something with that desire. We have to have a determination that we will keep our eyes glued on Jesus regardless of what the situation is around us. It must be regardless of what the cost is, or how hard the trial is, or how hard the suffering is that we are going to serve God. We can make it with God’s help.

The soul of the sluggard desireth, and hath nothing: but the soul of the diligent shall be made fat. Proverbs 13:4

When a lot of people say; I can’t, it really means I won’t. When they say; I can’t lose weight, it means I won’t lose weight. I can’t read my Bible everyday means I won’t take the time to read my Bible every day. There are a lot of things that people say that they can’t do when in actuality they won’t. They may say that they can’t forgive because the other person has done something so bad. They can forgive but they don’t want to. You can if you want to. If you say; I can’t get victory over this sin. That isn’t true because you can with God’s help. It means you won’t be determined or try. People need to be honest and instead of saying; I can’t they need to say I won’t. We can do it with God's help.

Do You Measure to God's Standard?

edithrn@att.net (SisEdith) — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 23:11:15 +0000

Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: Ephesians 4:13

In Washington, DC there is a building called the National Institute of Standards and Technology. This organization sets the national standard for inches, feet, weight and other measures. All measurement of pounds, feet, liters and all of those things have a set standard. If there was no set standard how could someone follow a set of blueprints to construct a building or follow a recipe to bake a cake. If everyone had their own measurement for foot or cup, you wouldn’t get consistent results. The Bible is a Christian’s set standard.

All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: 2 Tim 3:16

When it says; all scripture is given by inspiration God, what does that mean? It means that God is the author of all scripture. In the Greek Bible, instead of saying; inspiration of God, it says; God breathed. When God breathed into man; He gave him life. If there was none of God’s breath in the scriptures, they wouldn’t mean anything. The Word was inspired of God. When he breathed into the authors of the scriptures it means he told them what to say. The men didn’t just put some words down. God gave them different abilities. Peter was a fisherman. He wasn’t educated like Paul. There is a difference in their writing. Luke was a physician and he was educated differently than Mark was. When you read the gospel, you will read the personalities of the people that wrote, but every word was inspired of God. God was the one that was the author of it. God authored the Christian’s set standard.

For we dare not make ourselves of the number, or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves: but they measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise. But we will not boast of things without our measure, but according to the measure of the rule which God hath distributed to us, a measure to reach even unto you. 2 Corinthians 10:12-13

We are to measure ourselves by the Bible, and by what it says, not by those around us. God desires that we measure to His standards, so that He can fit us into His church. If we measure ourselves, by our own ideas or worldly thoughts – we won’t fit into God’s plan.

But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love. Ephesians 4:15-16

5 Goals to Set & Accomplish This Year

edithrn@att.net (SisEdith) — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 20:18:24 +0000

I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Phil 3:14

One thing about setting goals is to set them according to God’s will and His will is for us to have a closer relationship with him. You can say that you want to draw closer to God. You then have to put yourself into a position where you want to learn and you want to know about God. There are 24 hours in a day. In a year there are 8,760 hours. If you say you only have five minutes to spend with the Lord and you are doing what you want the rest of the day – how do you expect to draw closer to God. If you want to draw closer to the Lord, you are going to spend more than five minutes a day with the Lord. You will spend more than that reading your bible and praying. You will spend more than that getting down and asking God to search out your heart and to help you be what he wants you to be.

Draw closer to God
Have a consistent, effective prayer life
Read and study God’s word every day
Carrying a soul burden for the lost
Being faithful to the house of God

Draw closer to God

Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded. James 4:8

There has to be a determination in your heart if you desire to draw closer to God. If you are trying to draw closer to God and there are things in your life that he has shown you to get rid of but you hold on to it, you will not draw closer to God until you are willing to get rid of whatever it is that God wants you to get rid of. If you have a temper, ask for God to help you get victory over your temper. Work at it, be determined, put some effort behind it and God will give you victory. God will give you victory because he has promised us victory. We can have victory every day.

Have a consistent, effective prayer life

And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed. Mark 1:35

Jesus specifically got up that morning but this wasn’t the only time that he did. There were times when he spent all night praying. He knew he needed to get out by himself and pray. There will be times when you need to get by yourself and pray. If you say you can’t find time to pray, that is a cop out. It is because you don’t want to. If we want to pray, we will find time to do it. If we get distracted and have all the cares of life come in, there won’t be time because we will be applying ourselves in other things. It is a prayer life that is important for us to have a right relationship with God.

Read and study God’s word every day

And Shaphan the scribe shewed the king, saying, Hilkiah the priest hath delivered me a book. And Shaphan read it before the king. And it came to pass, when the king had heard the words of the book of the law, that he rent his clothes. And the king commanded Hilkiah the priest, and Ahikam the son of Shaphan, and Achbor the son of Michaiah, and Shaphan the scribe, and Asahiah a servant of the king's, saying, Go ye, enquire of the LORD for me, and for the people, and for all Judah, concerning the words of this book that is found: for great is the wrath of the LORD that is kindled against us, because our fathers have not hearkened unto the words of this book, to do according unto all that which is written concerning us. 2 Kings 22:10-13

Reading God’s word daily is necessary to be able to stay close to God and to know how he would have you live your life. The Bible is God’s direction for your life. Show God out of a heart of obedience you will do that because you love him more than you love yourself. If all you do is what you personally want to do, you haven’t crucified the flesh and you will just cater to the flesh. We learn obedience by the things that we suffer. What suffers is our flesh. When it is time to read your Bible, read your Bible.

Carrying a soul burden for the lost

And Jesus said unto him, This day is salvation come to this house, forsomuch as he also is a son of Abraham. For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost. Luke 19:9-10

Jesus came specifically to seek and save that which was lost. Do you have a list of people that you pray for everyday? There needs to be a real burden on our heart for specific souls. God wants us to carry a soul burden for specific people. You will ask God if there is anything that you can do to bring them to salvation. We can’t save them but we can be an instrument that God can use. God is faithful to answer the prayer of the righteous. That is why we need to carry a soul burden.

Being faithful to the house of God

Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching. Hebrews 10:25

Don’t let frivolous things keep you out of the house of God. If we say we love God with all of our heart, we need to be where we can hear the message of God.

Here is an interesting point about New Year’s resolutions. Statistically only about 12% of goals are met at the end of the year. You can meet these goals but it will take patience, work, and effort on our part. You will have to expend some energy. In reaching your goals, you will have to apply yourself and work. There will be times when you don’t feel like reading your Bible or praying. What should you do? Do it anyway.

Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain. And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible. 1 Corinthians 9:24-25