WHERE DO YOU WORSHIP WHATEVER IT IS THAT YOU WORSHIP

How have you lived your life before those who know you best?

Those in your household, your family, friends, co-workers, and fellow church members.

Have you told those who are closest to you about your belief in the son of God.

His name is Jesus.

In many circles you have to listen hard to hear that name spoken in purity.

Every one believes in a God of some sorts and can use the name readily without fear.

Try using the name of Jesus as creator, redeemer, savior, counselor, healer, friend, and king.

It will make many of those around you uncomfortable, for in that name is the question that GOD will ask each of us one day.

Who is Jesus to you?  Personally.

I have hard it said by some, that there is more of the presence of God in many bars then there is in most churches. I don’t believe it even thought it has been many years since I entered such a place for any reason.

The word of God tells us that even the demons believe and tremble at the mention of His name. (James 2:19)

That would tell me that the bar is full of demons, some of residence and many who are carried in and out on the backs of those who frequent such places.

As the liquor flows and sorrows and fears, lusts and greed, are brought out into the open, the demon rationalizes its fate by occasionally encouraging those in that environment to talk about a higher power.

Psychology would tell us that if we talk about something long enough it becomes easier to dismiss or ignore it.

I have known of musicians who are marketed as Christian, who will gladly ply their trade in bars and nightclubs, if the price is right.

I know of people who will say that they are glorifying God by being light in a dark place.

When in reality what they have done is allow those who frequent such places to justify one more sin in their lives, because "after all my Christian friend was there" and “we sang about God while we got drunk.”

Darkness despises the light,and is not drawn to it, but is repelled for fear of being exposed. (John 3:19-20)

The living God is not glorified in a bar. Around a beer or a mixed drink or around illegal drugs of any type.

In fact He declares that hell is enlarged because of those who frequent such places.(Isaiah 5:11-14)

Most of the life changes that occurs in places where demons congregate, are evident in the form of substance abuse, broken homes, abused spouses and children, poverty, death and eternal damnation.

Any other view denies the obvious truth.

Jesus did not come to bring those changes into the lives of his devotees. That is the work of the enemy, who comes to steal kill and destroy. (John 10:10)

The word of God tells us to have nothing to do with the unclean thing, (2 Corinthians 6:13-18) (Leviticus 10:8-10)

SAY GOOD BYE TO UNCERTAINTY

DO NOT DESPAIR

 

“But David encouraged himself in the Lord.” 1 Samuel 30:6

That which makes these words meaningful to us today is the point at which they occur in the history of the life of David.

Twelve years or perhaps a little earlier, Samuel had anointed David to be king after Saul.

For a period of time every thing was falling into place, as circumstance after circumstance worked to the good for David.

David had become Saul’s harpist and armor bearer. Each position placed him properly to learn the daily workings of kingship over Israel.

David, while in the spirit of the Lord, had slain Goliath, which caused the daughters of Israel to sing, “Saul has slain his thousands, while David his ten thousands.”

From that time on there were strange reverses in the relationship of Saul and David.

Twice Saul attempted to kill David with the spear.

He attempted to slay David in other ways also, which caused David to flee for his life.

Then the enraged King Saul, began to hunt for David in the mountains much like a man hunts for partridge and other wild game.

Then in a reversal of faith, David and those whom had attached themselves to him, turned to the Philistine King Achish.

The enemy of Israel gave David and his followers the city of Ziklag, where for sixteen months they lingered.

The Philistines went to war against Israel again, and David felt obligated to go with them. He was now indebted to the enemy.

On the eve of the encounter, however, the Philistines insisted that David and his men return to Ziklag.

David was saved from an awkward situation.

But, oh what an agonizing shock awaited them back at Ziklag.

Instead of wives and children welcoming them back home, the city had been burned to the ground by another enemy, the Amalakites.

Yet the severity of this blow became the turning point for good in David’s affairs.

In his dire plight he was flung to one or the other of two alternatives- either to give up faith in God altogether, or to give up himself to God entirely, in utter trust.

Read the whole of the text; “And David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters; but David encouraged himself in the Lord.” 1 Samuel 30:6

That became the turning point.

God gave David a new promise.

Wives, children, goods, were quickly retrieved.

Saul was slain in battle.

David was welcomed as King of Judah.

All of this speaks, by parallel, of Gods dealings with each of us.

Afflictions and trials are sometimes allowed to accumulate without intermission, until it seems that one more ounce of pressure and our spirits will snap.

Then when in the bleakest of emotions, we will receive from God, providential intervention, that transforms every circumstance.

When faced with bereavement, failure of cherished plans, loss of material possessions, unfaithfulness of dear ones, let us do as David did.

“David encouraged himself in the Lord.”

Let us find unfailing refuge in

1. His righteousness

2. His faithfulness

3. His love

4. His promises

TRUTH THAT FLOWS

WATER WATER EVERYWHERE

 

There is a saying among nomadic desert dwellers of the middle east. It rings true even to this day.

The man who knows where there is water in the desert and doesn’t tell the stranger that he meets on his journey is the worst of criminals.

Without knowledge of the water the stranger is likely to perish in the journey through the desert.

It is the water that he needs, not a smile, a greeting and then a good-bye.

If you know the truth of salvation in the shed blood of Christ, then tell someone as that is the water that is needed by so many in this desert journey.

On another note, there are those whose calling it is to provide real H2O to drink.

If you would like to help, I can give you a name.

Just ask by leaving a comment on the blog.

HE GIVES GOOD REWARDS

WHAT DO YOU DESIRE

 

Do you struggle as so many do just to get to the next day.

Are you overwhelmed by the cares of the world?

Does it take all of your energy and imagination just to survive day to day?

Each of us are born into a world that demands that we give it our blood, sweat ,tears, hopes, and dreams so that it can cause our efforts to seem that they are spent in a way that our time is consumed as vapor.

That is the work of the destroyer , who comes only to steal, kill and destroy. (John 10:10)

In our days we are told to speak continually of the good things of the Lord, and not to make our cares and worries the primary focal point. ( Psalm 113:3)

Persevere, and look forward to a time when there will be rewards given to those who have been deemed worthy to receive them from the Lord. (2 Corinthians 5:10)

Lets look at some of the rewards, crowns if you will, that we are eligible to receive.

Paul said it best, look forward to the end of the race. (1 Corinthians 9:24)

There is a Crown of Glory for those who have served Him faithfully. (1 Peter 5:4)

We see a Crown of Rejoicing. It is given to those who have been soul winners. (1 Thessalonians 2:19)

There will be a Crown Incorruptible, for those who live victorious lives of purity.  (1 Corinthians 9:25)   (Ephesians 6:11)

The Crown of Righteousness, it is given to those who long for His return.   (2 Timothy 4:8)

There is available a Crown of Life; for Christian Martyrs   (Revelation 2:10)

How wonderful it will be to walk the street of Heaven wearing crowns that belong to the King of Kings, that He has judged you worthy of wearing.

DONT HESITATE TO SPEAK

ONE MORE DAY

I remember a time when a friend of mine asked me if I would go to her brother who was an alcoholic and take to him the gospel of Christ.

I did a quick check of my mental calendar, and found that I did not have the time today, but I would be faithful to meet him the next day.

She gave me his address and name and we parted company.

I was good to my word. I went to find him the next day, all fired up that I was going to share the good news with him.

As I pulled into the parking lot of the small motel, I was met with the sight of an ambulance and two police cars along with the coroner.

To my shock they were in and out of the door with the number on it that I held in my right hand.

The man had taken his own life, he had entered the portals of eternity. LOST, according to his sister.

I still grieve that my own business seemed at the time to be more important than his position in eternity.

Do you, as I did, neglect to tell someone about Christ, and what He has done for you because we choose to wait until tomorrow.

Or do you feel uncomfortable, or unsure about how to share the truth of Jesus.

Have you ever regretted when they were gone, that you did not tell them that Jesus died for them, so they could have eternal life.

The bible says that today is the day for salvation. (2 Corinthians 6:2)

You can learn to share, if you wish. I can help in that aspect or direct you to someone else who can also.

All Christians are required to give testimony of our salvation in Christ. (Matthew 10:32-33)

To not confess Him to others is to deny Him.

I will never again wait until tomorrow to tell someone I meet. I will tell them today.

WOULD YOU CARRY SOMEONES ARMOR

ARMOR BEARER WANNABES

 

I have heard recently of people who name themselves as armor bearers for others.

They may not know what it is they are committing to.

An armor bearer is one who is bound to a warrior, who is being trained up by the warrior to do battle in the same fashion as the warrior himself has been trained in.

The armor bearer has the responsibility of studying the use of, and carrying about a portion of the weapons of war.

An armor bearer will learn the trade of war just by being around the weapons and by seeing them used.

An armor bearer gets none of the glory when battles are won, he must wait his turn.

Armor in the sense of a shield, a helmet, a sword, or a word, can be used for either defense or most surely for offense.

The greatest warrior will use the shield as a fortress and as an object of brute force.

The helmet can be used to deflect misdirected blows, it can be decorated in a way to draw attention to it and away from the one who wears it, and it can be used as an object of weight on the end of the arm of the warrior to crush and bruise the opponent.

The javelin or spear can be used to strike from a distance or it can be used as a prod to keep an opponent beyond arms length.

The sword is the weapon that separates and divides, if used with skill.

It opens a path, it causes a flow.

The armor bearer will set the armaments before the warrior in the field of battle and then take whatever weapon he has learned to use and will position himself as rear guard for the warrior, watching out for foul attacks from the back.

This battle, this apprenticeship, has become a matter of life and death.

The armor bearer understands that if the warrior falls, then he too will suffer whatever the enemy desires.

In the book of 1 Samuel 14:12-13 we see the relationship of a warrior and an armor bearer.

You can be certain that Jonathan chose his armor bearer carefully.

And so should we.

A LETTER FROM A FRIEND

Dear Friend:

I hope this letter finds you doing well both in health and in your spiritual growth.

In this blog we will examine a matter that I really had hoped would never be brought up, as there are several streams of thought on this topic.

Is 3 John 2 a promise intended for all of us to financially prosper?

3 John 2: “Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.’

Those who adhere to the “health and prosperity gospel,” misinterpret this verse to read as a scriptural promise that he (Gaius) will be financially prosperous.

This was a standard form of greeting in their day, much like peace be unto you.

The Greek word for “prosper”--- (euodoo) -- here does not refer specifically to financial prosperity but simply means that it would “go well with someone.”

Even if it did mean to financially prosper it is not a promise to everyone but to “The elder unto the well beloved Gaius, whom I love in the truth,” it is Gaius that is being addressed here.

A specific person, and a specific greeting.

Gaius was growing in the knowledge of the truth and his soul was prospering.

It was John’s earnest desire for his life, in that his relationships were to be as abundant as his soul was, (in a moral sense).

“above all things”-(peri)- if we take the interpretation that the prosperity teachers do then this verse would mean that John valued physical health and outward prosperity more than he did the health of his soul, this would go against what John taught elsewhere that we are to first desire spiritual health.

The word (euodoo) is also found in: Rom 1:10, it is rendered “have a prosperous journey;”

The wish is for “things to go well” along with the wish for “good health;” therefore financial prosperity--is not the actual intent of this greeting.

I admit that I do not know all that is to be known about the Word, nor do I personally know anyone who would make that claim concerning themselves, but I assure each of you that I will continue to search the scripture as to its meaning and perhaps through that research be able to help you and me also, to lead a significant life.

Please use the following scripture references as a guide to understanding.

Beloved, I pray that all may go well with you and that you may be in good health, as it goes well with your soul.

The Holy Bible, English Standard Version © 2001 Crossway Bibles

NASB - 3Jo 1:2 - Beloved, I pray that in all respects you may prosper and be in good health, just as your soul prospers.

New American Standard Bible © 1995 Lockman Foundation

Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.

King James Version 1611, 1769

NKJV - 3Jo 1:2 - Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.

New King James Version © 1982 Thomas Nelson

NLT - 3Jo 1:2 - Dear friend, I am praying that all is well with you and that your body is as healthy as I know your soul is.

New Living Translation © 1996 Tyndale Charitable Trust

NIV - 3Jo 1:2 -

Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well.

New International Version © 1973, 1978, 1984 International Bible Society

ESV - 3Jo 1:2 -

Beloved, I pray that all may go well with you and that you may be in good health, as it goes well with your soul.

The Holy Bible, English Standard Version © 2001 Crossway Bibles

New American Standard Bible © 1995 Lockman Foundation

RSV - 3Jo 1:2 - Beloved, I pray that all may go well with you and that you may be in health; I know that it is well with your soul.

Revised Standard Version © 1947, 1952.

ASV - 3Jo 1:2 - Beloved, I pray that in all things thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.

American Standard Version 1901 Info

Young - 3Jo 1:2 - beloved, concerning all things I desire thee to prosper, and to be in health, even as thy soul doth prosper,

Robert Young Literal Translation 1862, 1887, 1898 Info

Darby -3Jo 1:2 - Beloved, I desire that in all things thou shouldest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospers.

J.N.Darby Translation 1890 Info

Webster - 3Jo 1:2 - Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.

TO LIVE HOLY

TO LIVE HOLY

When we were first saved we were taught several doctrines which are no longer widely taught in evangelical and charismatic churches today. We were taught that we would be tempted to go back to our old life of sin unless we began practicing these doctrines. They would protect us from evil, guard our faith, and keep our walk holy. These doctrines stemmed from a proper understanding of the believer’s place in the world.

Here are some examples:

Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. (Rom 6:11-12)

Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? Whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God. (James 4:4)

For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ. (Titus 2:11-13)

If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. (Col 3: 1-3)

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. (Rom 12:1-2)

As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance; But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation. (I Peter 1: 14-15)

Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? And what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? Or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? For ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you. And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty. (II Cor 7:14-18)

The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light. Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying. But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfill the lusts thereof. (Rom 13:12-14)

These Scriptures have to do with separation and non-conformity.

A believer is to be separated from unbelievers and idolators, and be consecrated holy unto the Lord.

A believer is not to conform to this world, with all of its lusts, but is to conform to the perfect will of God.

These two principals kept many a baby Christian from returning to their former friends, former lusts, spiritual errors and previous manner of sinful life.

Please note the last Scriptural reference above.

Here is a clear example of spiritual warfare. These verses do not call for a believer to cast down high powers and principalities, or to set up governments and kings, but to cast off the works of darkness (sin) and put on holiness, which is an armour against the lusts of the flesh.

How does one put on holiness?

It is time to return to a simple faith and trust in your first Love, Jesus Christ, who died on a cross, and was risen to life again in three days, so that your sins might be forgiven.

Read the Bible every day employing traditional methods of Bible study.

Faithfully take each verse and ask the Lord to show you in your heart where you need to apply it to your life.

What is God plainly saying?

Are you convicted?

Do you need to ask the Lord for forgiveness?

Do you need to make some changes in your life?

Are you willing to look “peculiar” in the eyes of a worldly church?

Are you willing to walk the narrow way, even if you are very alone on that path?

Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. (Ps. 119:105)

Thank you Lord God; for your Word, that is revealed in our Savior, Christ Jesus.