Be not afraid of what man can do to you

Tell me does your family or co-workers

think that you are crazy for being a follower of Christ? Do

they think you are too extreme for believing  in the Bible literally? Well, don't feel lonely. Christ faced the same type of problems. As we see in Matthew 9:24, sometimes people derided Christ. They did not just laugh at Him -- they laughed Him to scorn. They made a big deal out of it.  It is the same today. If we declare what Christ said, there may be times when others think we are crazy. They may laugh at us. They may even mock us for believing in God's Word. That is nothing new. But why should you let it affect you?  Often we are too concerned about what other people think. After all, they are not our Judge. Nor are they our Provider. But God is, and we should care what He thinks. That was the stance that Christ took.  We must remember that we are not in a popularity contest. Yes, to some people the message we have to share will be received with gladness and thankfulness. I am sure the parents of the girl Christ raised from the dead -- after He was laughed to scorn -- were glad. But to others we are often not understood.  That really is the root of the problem. People are in darkness. They do not understand what is really happening. They don't understand there is a spiritual side of life. They do not understand that the words we speak are important and carry authority. They do not understand that with faith in God, nothing is impossible. And people generally mistrust what they do not understand or can not see.  So we must walk in love and be patient with people, knowing that they are in darkness -- but someday they will see the light. If we continue to walk in the light ourselves, we can be the means of God's light beginning to shine into their lives and bring understanding. So do not loose faith or fret. when the

world seem to turn against you, for the world hated Christ. 

The world will also hate us, but our job is to be the image of Christ

So that through us many who have been in darkness can come to the light, 

because they see Christ in us.

The Help is here to guide us

"But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me.  The Holy Spirit's desire and purpose is to help you -- not to hinder you.  The Holy Spirit is the third Person of the Trinity of God. It is difficult for humans to understand how there can be only one God, as the Scriptures teach, yet He can reveal Himself as three persons. So do not let it be an obstacle for you.  The Holy Spirit is a person, not just a force. He should be treated with the utmost respect and shown the utmost gratitude.  Following are a few of the ways the Holy Spirit desires to help you, and will help you if you allow Him to.  In Prayer   Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.  One weakness of humans, compared to God, is in our limited knowledge. We do not even know what is happening on the other side of a wall, let alone the other side of the country. We also do not know what people are planning to do, but the Holy Spirit knows everything. And He will help us to pray accurately and effectively.  One way the Holy Spirit helps us in prayer is by giving us utterance in a language for prayer which we have never learned. Thus we can bypass our minds with their doubt and lack of understanding of what is best, and pray according to the perfect will of God.  Guides Us  The Holy Spirit will, if allowed, guide you in every area of life; from the words you should speak, to the spouse you should marry, to the investments you should make.  "However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you . . . . 

God love comes in the form of his forgiveness of us

God love is so great for you and I, that he paid the price      

for our sins. So that we would not have be separated from him.

It was God (personally present) in Christ, reconciling and restoring the world to favor with Himself, not counting up and holding against [men] their trespasses [but cancelling them]; and committing to us the message of reconciliation -- of the restoration to favor.  A popular idea is that God is really mad at people and can hardly wait to punish them for their sins.  The truth is that God has already forgiven people. Now you must accept His forgiveness to enjoy a restored relationship with Him.  What a shame it is that people are estranged from God and go without His help and blessing -- simply because they think God is against them and would have nothing to do with them.    I write to you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for His name's sake.  No matter what you have done -- God has already forgiven you! More than forgiven -- you are loved!  Forgiving you was God's idea -- you do not have to convince Him. You must believe God forgave you and thank Him.   Christ already paid the price for all your sins -- and God is no longer holding any sin against you! You have been forgiven. 

God loves a sinner like me

I don't know about you but it is hard at times to believe how 

God could love a sinner like me. But here's the truth, he love

you and I and the proof is that he gave his only begotten son

For you and I.

It's true -- God loves you and I. His love for you is not based on your appearance or your performance -- but on the fact that you are His creation - - His child.  Just as a good parent loves their children, so God loves His children -- and even more so. You will not be able to make God stop loving you, no matter what you do or don't do. You can displease Him, you can disappoint Him, you can anger Him -- but you can't make Him stop loving you.  What are the practical consequences of God loving you? First, it means you can trust Him. No one who truly loves you will mistreat you. Second, it means God is doing all He can to help you and bless you.  "Then why am I not more blessed, if God wants to bless me?" Because you must cooperate with God to receive His blessing. That is why we need continuing instruction from the Bible -- so we can know how to receive all that God has for us.  The promise of Christ is that if we continue in His Word it will reveal the truth to us and make us free. That is the blessing which God has provided for you through Christ because He loves you: true freedom! Freedom from fear, freedom from confusion, freedom from lack, freedom from sickness, freedom from strife, freedom from sin. 

What do we need to do

It funny how often time, the answer is so simply that it confuses the wise.

For the bible tells you and I that they way to heaven is simple.

Yet most of us miss the mark, because we try to contemplate God.

We must trust that God is who he said he is.

But without faith it is impossible to please God, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.  You may be working yourself to a frazzle trying to be perfect so you can please God.  You may have tried so hard and become so frustrated that you are about ready to give up. Well, maybe you should quit trying to be perfect on your own -- because none of us will ever be perfect through our own efforts, anyway.  God knows you are human. He does not expect perfection out of you. If you were perfect you would not even need a Saviour.  God loves you and accepts you because He made you. And He is able to make you into what He desires for you to be -- if you will trust Him and allow Him to work in you.  God wants you to trust Him. He wants your love and respect. He has certainly earned it and deserves it. Don't let the devil keep you from giving to God what He really desires: your love and faith.  What does God desire from you? Not perfect performance -- but total trust. God wants you to believe that He is good -- a rewarder!

Walk in Victory and not defeat

God bless you all, this morning I found myself siting down and reading Max Lucado books Six Hours One Friday, a thought came to mind so I wanted to share it with you and I pray that it is a blessing to you. Also thank you for those of you that have sent me words of encouragement.
Forgive me as I digressed for a moment there. Now back to my thought let me speak my mind before I should go astray at my age that happens often :)


We all love to win.

Victory is sweet. One reason it's so sweet is that it's usually
not easy. Victory takes effort -- often great effort.

Effort is also required in the spiritual battle of good against
evil we are all engaged in. But the effort required of us is to
maintain our attitude of faith in God and His Word.

We cannot overcome the strategies of the devil by our
willpower, or by our own strength. We must use the spiritual
weapons God has provided for us.

As a child of God -- you are a winner! The victory is already
yours through what Christ our lord and Savior did on our behalf. Don't let
the enemy steal the victory away from you.

Your enemy comes to steal your faith. Don't let it happen. For he is like a roaring lion going to and fro and seeking whom he might devour. Like Peter if we take our focus of Christ we will find ourselves sinking in the storms of life. But praise God he is faithful, if we call upon his name to save us the word of God tells us that he will do just that. The Good thing about God is that you know his love for you is so great that he has no intent of separating himself from you. He loves you even when you can't love yourself. He's each of us as the apple of his eye. Me I often times think of myself as that apple with the worm in it, the bad apple in the bunch but thank God he does not see me that way. Now if that not enough to show how much he loves you, remember this. While each of you hold a very special place in my heart, but not one of you would I ever put my child in harms way to pay a price for you. Pardon the pun but I would gladly through you under the bus before I would allow one hair on any of my children's head to be harmed just to save you. But thank God for us all I'm not God, cause he allowed his son to come down from glory and suffer much and die for us.... We say God bless you to each other and hug each other on Sunday but Monday through Wed we don't call or check on each other on pray night or bible study night we show up and greet each other and then again we leave and go back to our lives. But Christ really meant and was willing to show how much he loved us by giving up his life for you and me. So bottom line there is no reason for any of us to walk in defeat, let each of us be daily praying for each other and encourage each other whether it be with an email a phone call or a hug etc...

May the Lord our God keep you safe and renew your mind daily to be stayed on him. May the life you lead for he Lord speak of him by your actions and the love you show to others.


--
Dr. Willis Henry D.C.S
To thine own self be true

What Separates us from God

Sin is breaking the Law, missing the mark set by God.

The word "sin" is a translation of the Greek word "hamartia"
which means to miss the mark.
Which is why Christ had to come and do what we were unable to do. Like the LDS they and the Jehovah Witness they believe that salvation is through works. Tell me if you can what works could you or I possible do that would earn us salvation??? When we sin daily. People pay of cops, off judges off elected officials. But what could any of us offer God who the bible tells all that was made is made by God and nothing that was not made by God is not made. Everything you have is his anyway. So you see you couldn't have bought your way out of hell even if you tried. Christ had to pay the price because the debt was to high for you to pay the price. And your credit was no good with God. So Christ stood in and say I will cover his debt. So your debt has been paid in full

For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God's glorious
standard.

Religious tradition labels many things as sin which the Bible
does not. People make up all kinds of rules based on what they
think is right. But God is the judge and only God can decree
what sin is.


And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of
God, that ye may keep your own tradition.

God has not left us to wonder what sin is. The Bible reveals it
to us. We don't have to guess, or make it up as we go.

Just because you do something someone else thinks is wrong does
not mean it is a sin. So don't let people condemn you over
things the Bible does not clearly say are wrong. God is the
judge.


Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty
deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the
basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ.

Another error is to think being tempted is a sin. Temptation
itself is not sin. You cannot help being tempted. Even Jesus
was tempted -- but He never yielded.

For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with
our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet
without sin.

A common mistake is believing that having bad thoughts is a
sin. It is not a sin to be tempted with bad thoughts. It only
becomes a sin when we embrace those thoughts as our own and
decide to commit them.


These desires give birth to sinful actions. And when sin is
allowed to grow, it gives birth to death.

God is against sin because it is deadly. Sin brings forth
death, not life and blessing. God loves people, so He is
against everything that harms people.

All sin harms people. (Just because you don't see how a sin
would harm anyone, does not mean you know more than God.)

But no human can be right with God by never sinning. We have
all fallen short and need a Savior. It is only by God's grace
and His forgiveness that we can be right with God.


For no one can ever be made right with God by doing what the
law commands. The law simply shows us how sinful we are.

We can be glad because Jesus came to save sinners, and He paid
the price for the forgiveness of all sins by shedding His
blood.


In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness
of sins, according to the riches of His grace

--
Dr. Willis Henry D.C.S
To thine own self be true

Becoming High minded

Ever meet a supposed Christian who knew everything about everything. Hmm always makes me wonder, cause I have a shelf full of books and yet even after all that I find that I know nothing. That God is still teaching me and directing me. So for those of you who have already learned it all. God bless you I guess I'm a little slow. For I know that many times in the bible the men of God were allowed to see so far travel so far. I have been in Churches where Sister so and so had prayed her way to level that everyone else should strive to achieve. She had such holiness about her that I was surprised God had not already called her home. Whether you be a Pastor or the janitor know that you have not prayed to much or read so much that you can not still be taught. For out of the mouths of babies comes wisdom at times. So please lend a ear and always be open to the word of God.

The apostle Paul, who was caught up into Heaven, given divine
revelation, and wrote down most of the New Testament, said he
only knew in part.

If he only knew in part -- how much more it must be true for
us.

One problem we have is too many people thinking they know more
than they really do. Just because you have read the Bible does
not make you a Bible expert. Just because you have a degree
from a Bible school does not mean you have all the answers.

Even if you know Hebrew and Greek, so you can read the Bible in
the original languages, it does not mean you understand the
Bible. It can help, but it does not guarantee understanding.
The apostle Paul certainly knew those languages, yet he only
knew in part.

We need to be smart enough to admit, along with the apostle
Paul, that we don't know it all.

It's not a sin to not know everything. We should not feel like
we must have an answer for every question.

God even said there are some things that are secret.


"The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but those
things which are revealed belong to us and to our children
forever, that we may do all the words of this law.

God also indicates there are things in His Word we will only
see if we search diligently and work at it, like we were
digging for silver (Proverbs 2:1-7).

So, we all need to remain humble. Humility always accompanies
wisdom. There is much in the Bible that none of us yet knows
completely.


For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face.
Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am
known.

Only when we are face to face with God will we see the whole
picture. Until then we will only know in part. Certainly we can
learn more now, and we should. But we must always remember
that, in this life, none of us will ever know it all.

--
Dr. Willis Henry D.C.S
To thine own self be true

Take Heed

Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself.  When you start thinking you are better than other people, you are on dangerous ground. It leads to actions opposite to divine love.  Be on guard! The Bible warns us, and we should take heed.  Of course it's not just what we think of others that's important, but how we treat others. However, thoughts always precede and determine actions. So, we must guard our thoughts.   Yes, every one of us is better in some way(s) than some other person or persons. But not one of us is superior in every way to everyone else.  Of even more importance is that we should not value a human being by their looks, abilities or accomplishments, but by their value to God. God is the true judge of human worth and He thinks that person you are tempted to look down upon is valuable enough to die for.  When you judge someone as not valuable, or judge yourself as more valuable than they are, you are setting yourself up as a judge with higher authority than God.    But he gives us even more grace to stand against such evil desires. As the Scriptures say, "God opposes the proud but favors the humble."  God resists the proud!  Only a fool would want God to oppose them or resist them. Therefore, only a fool, or an ignorant person, would want to be proud -- which is thinking you are better than others.

 Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for "God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble."  What do you have that was not given to you? Did you create yourself? So, what do you really have to boast about?    For who makes you differ from another? And what do you have that you did not receive? Now if you did indeed receive it, why do you boast as if you had not received it?  Instead of being proud, be grateful for all God has blessed you with. And realize God has blessed you so you can also be a blessing to others -- for they are important to God, too.    Respect everyone, and love your Christian brothers and sisters. 

In Part

The apostle Paul, who was caught up into Heaven, given divine revelation, and wrote down most of the New Testament, said he only knew in part.  If he only knew in part -- how much more it must be true for us.  One problem we have is too many people thinking they know more than they really do. Just because you have read the Bible does not make you a Bible expert. Just because you have a degree from a Bible school does not mean you have all the answers.  Even if you know Hebrew and Greek, so you can read the Bible in the original languages, it does not mean you understand the Bible. It can help, but it does not guarantee understanding. The apostle Paul certainly knew those languages, yet he only knew in part.  We need to be smart enough to admit, along with the apostle Paul, that we don't know it all.  It's not a sin to not know everything. We should not feel like we must have an answer for every question.  God even said there are some things that are secret.    "The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but those things which are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law.  God also indicates there are things in His Word we will only see if we search diligently and work at it, like we were digging for silver (Proverbs 2:1-7).  So, we all need to remain humble. Humility always accompanies wisdom. There is much in the Bible that none of us yet knows completely.    For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.  Only when we are face to face with God will we see the whole picture. Until then we will only know in part. Certainly we can learn more now, and we should. But we must always remember that, in this life, none of us will ever know it all.