Denominationalism mocks Christ' prayer for unity.

Denominationalism mocks Christ' prayer for unity. In the shadow of the cross, Christ poured out his heart in prayer to the Father. Observe one particular for which Jesus fervently prayed: The reality of multiplied thousands of different churches and theologies make a mockery of Jesus' prayer for the oneness of his followers (see addendum).
What does the word of God say about denominations?   Christ said that many would fail to keep the Word of God  simply because they loved the traditions of man more than the true word of God. (religion)
We now call it religion.

The traditions of men that will not earn right standing before the lord  only faith, love and a true relationship with God, not  the religions of men.
Catholics, Mormons, Jehovah's Witnesses, Muslims, Buddhists, Faith Prosperity and many Christian Religions and People are caught up in denominations!!!! God has been removed from the equation, some say the greatest trick that Lucifer ever pulled was the day he convinced man he did not exist, I say it was the day he invented denominations and told man it was good and man drank from that polluted cup of blasphemy.
There is only way and it is not Mary or the Pope or Allah or Muhammad or Joseph Smith or Michael the  Archangel, or Gautama Buddha nor You or I.   Denominations have become many people new god, Christ told the religious nut jobs of his time, that they knew the way in but did not go and hindered others from going in also.

Now, please do not conclude that I'm  against fellowship for  iron sharpens iron, my concern is that the theories of men are taking the place of the Word of God. No where in the word of God at least not to my knowledge did he advocate us creating different denominations.

Dear God let us see what  we have been to blind to see, that it  is only  one way to heaven and that way is through you, not a denomination, but the living breathing God.

"Neither pray I for these alone , but for them also which shall believe on me through their word: That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me" (John. 17: 20, 21). 

NUMBERS 23:19

So God's Word is ultimate reality! More real, and lasting, than anything we can presently see.God only speaks truth! He can not lie. Whatever God says comes to pass. God cannot lie, because anything He says will come into being  even if it did not exist before He said it.  God cannot lie because it is contrary to His nature. God's nature is one of selfless love for others. His nature is not to deceive. It is natural for God to be truthful and never to deceive. This is what makes the foundation of our relationship with God so solid  God has given us His Word which cannot fail. If we are ever presented with evidence contrary to what God says,
we can know we are being presented with a lie. For it is impossible for God to lie. God cannot lie because it is not His nature, and because whatever He speaks will happen.

 

 God is not a man, so he does not lie. He is not human, so he does not change his mind. Has he ever spoken and failed to act? Has he ever promised and not carried it through? (Numbers 23:19).

denominationalism many different churches, teaching many different doctrines about supposedly the same God

This may sound shocking to many of you the  concept of denominationalism (many different churches, teaching many different doctrines) is not taught or sanctioned in the New Testament. Christ promised and did build "one body" or church (Matt. 16: 18, Eph. 1: 22, 23, Eph. 4: 4). The concept of many different churches was absent in the First Century. Paul, therefore, taught "every where in every church" (I Cor. 4: 17). Denominationalism is division personified. The closest that we can come to denominationalism in the New Testament is the divided state of the church at Corinth. Paul did not praise this fragmented condition, but rather he condemned it. Observe Paul's inspired teaching:
     "10: Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment. 11: For it hath been declared unto me of you, my brethren, by them which are of the house of Chloe, that there are contentions among you. 12: Now this I say, that every one of you saith, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ. 13: Is Christ divided? was Paul crucified for you? or were ye baptized in the name of Paul?" (I Cor. 1.)
     Denominationalism rests on the claim of justified diversified understanding of God's word. However, oneness and the avoidance of changing the word of God are enjoined (Gal. 1: 6-9; Rev. 22: 18, 19). How can one be expected to "contend earnestly for the once delivered faith" if the faith cannot be understood and understood alike (Jude 3; Eph. 3: 1-6). I want to briefly share with you what denominationalism in essence does to Christ.
     In the shadow of the cross, Christ poured out his heart in prayer to the Father. Observe one particular for which Christ fervently prayed: "Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word: That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me" (John 17: 20, 21). The reality of multiplied thousands of different churches and theologies make a mockery of Christ prayer for the oneness of his followers.
      Beloved, the state of many different churches, teaching many different doctrines is a prolific cause of unbelief. Notice why Christ prayed for unity: "that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me" (John17: 21). The atheist is heard to say, "how can you expect me to believe the Bible when there are so many different religions that claim to believe and go by the same book?"
    Have you ever really stopped and thought about all the mixed messages of denominationalism? For instance, some teach that all babies are born sinners and if they die in that state, they are eternally lost (hereditary total depravity). Others present babies as pure and innocent (Matt. 18; 19). Some say the non-Christian must be scripturally baptized (Acts 2: 38); others contend water baptism has nothing to do with salvation. Calvinists teach that unless God arbitrarily selected you for salvation before he created the world, there is nothing you can do to alter your lost condition; others maintain salvation is available to all (John. 3: 16). The point is that denominationalism is responsible for contradictory messages being given to the lost. Some in hearing these conflicting teachings have concluded Christ is a contradictory Lord.
      If Christ embraces and sanctions all the incongruous teachings of denominationalism, he is indeed hypocritical. This is especially true in view of the teaching of strict obedience and doctrinal purity found in the New Testament (Luke 6: 46, Matt. 7: 21).
      Just think of all the inequities of denominationalism - some men must be baptized; others do not need to in order to be saved; some babies are in sin; other babies are in a safe condition, ad infinitum. The Bible says: "…God is no respecter of persons: but in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him" (Acts 10: 34, 35). Christ said, "And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free" (John 8: 32).
     The doctrinally diversified religious world is nothing short of mass and utter chaos. One can find anything taught today that one wants or desires. Many "worship services" today are nothing more than side shows that seek to placate the selfish desires of their clients. Consider what the scriptures actually say about God and such chaotic contumacy: "For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints…Let all things be done decently and in order" (I Corin. 14: 33, 40).
   . Denominationalism, in view of the conflicting teaching and practices, would have us believe that Jesus was unable to present to the world a Book that all could understand and understand alike. However, the problem is not the Lord's inability, but the problem is man's unwillingness to accept what is taught in the Bible. This is why creeds, dogmas, and confessions of faith in addition to the Bible are needed. Many religions also exist only based on the "authority" of latter day revelation, a matter strictly forbidden (Jude 3).

Surely Denominationalism do not differs from God's Plan?

God's plan involves all of the body(the church).
Denominationalism seemly endeavor is to alter the  plan by adding the concept of denominational affiliations - associations of local churches that contain some of the saved but not all of the saved - organizations that are more than just local churches, but less than the universal church. Denominations were unknown in the Bible. They constitute an addition, a change in God's plan. Most people can easily read their Bibles and see that this is so.
What difference does it make?
Any man is accursed if he preaches a gospel different from what is revealed in the New Testament. But denominationalism is different from the gospel. It is nowhere authorized in the gospel.
 Whoever does not abide in Jesus' doctrine does not have God. (2 John 9)


The church is part of God's eternal wisdom in the Bible (Eph. 3:10-11).
Denominations are not in the Bible, so they must have come from men. If we participate in them, we are followers of men, and of of God.
We must not lean on our human wisdom, but must trust in God to guide us. There are ways that seem right to men, but their end is death.  Human traditions and commands make our service to God vain or empty. Everything religiously which God did not plant will be rooted up. By whose command do denominations exist? Who planted them some of you might accuse such men as Peter, but he promoted simply a Messianic following, or maybe you would accuse Paul, he also promoted a following of the Messiah nothing more nothing less. For you see they already had a religion and that was Judaism. Since there is no where in God's written Word or any of his followers made any statement of creating a new denomination it can only mean one thing. Denominations were simply the ideologies of men,not based on God's word but the feelings and thoughts of men.. Are we then not in danger, for our worship and service must be  God first and foremost. Let every mouth confess that Christ is Lord, for we are all told every knee shall bow, yet many among you are bowing now to  a denomination that was sanctioned by  but by man.

Image if you will for a second to come home to a construction crew tearing up your living room, simply because your neighbor over heard you say you hated the floors in your house and wished they were removed. So the site boss explains to you that your neighbor hired them to come in and remove all your hard wood floors and put down carpet. Are you confused as to why your neighbor would take it upon themselves to do this without your permission???

Is denominationalism part of Jesus' teaching? No! It is not revealed in His word. Therefore, those who practice this unauthorized change have not God!  (Rev. 22:18,19)

Denominationalism (Can a divided house remain standing ???)

The concept of a denomination, as commonly believed today, involves all the following elements:
* Each denomination is an affiliation or confederation consisting of a number of local churches. (Southern Baptist, Calvary Chapel, Catholic. Methodist, etc...)
* Each denomination has its own peculiar name, doctrine, organization, plan of worship, etc., which distinguishes it from other denominations.
* Each denomination claims it is composed of Christians, but it does not claim to contain all faithful Christians. Each denomination believes there are faithful children of God in other denominations. "There are saved people in all the denominations." "We're all going to heaven, just by different routes."
Okay stop, the bus in case any of you didn't catch that. let try it again:"We're all going to heaven, just by different routes." Hmm, There is only one way to heaven, and that is through Jesus Christ.by Lee Strobel. Okay is Lee Strobel  contradicting these denominatsionlist?,"One church is as good as another." It's just a matter of personal preference, like different kinds of cars, colors of clothes, etc. So "join the church of your choice." Didn't know Christ was like Mcdonalds that you could have salvation the way you wanted it.  To bad someone didn't tell Job that cause I'm sure he would choose not to suffer, or told Jeremiah that it really was all about his wants and desires instead of God's will being done.
Ask any informed denominationalist, and he will confirm what we have said. Ask: "Are there saved Christians in your denomination?" He will say, " Why of course." Ask: "Are there Christians in other denominations, who will go to heaven?" He will say, "Certainly there are." Ask: "Does one have to be a member of your denomination to go to heaven?" He will say, "No." So each denomination claims to consist of some Christians, but not all Christians.
A denominational preacher once said the following in a letter:
"There is only one 'holy Christian Church,' of which Christ is the Head, but it is now made up of many denominations ... But faith in Christ is the first criterion of membership in the holy Christian Church, and we feel that such believers can be found in all Christian denominations."

 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) Wait a second is Christ also saying that there is only one path to Heaven? So why do we have all these denomination again? oh wait I know

SO WHAT DOES IT TAKE T O BE A CHRISTIAN????

People often use the term “Christian” as simply a category for describing someone’s cultural, religious, or family heritage. Other people believe that a person is a Christian because he or she attends church or was raised in a godly home. For still others, the term “Christian” is no more than a box to check off on an application or survey form.
So what is a Christian? Jesus said that His true followers are those who have been “born again” by the Spirit of God. When a Jewish religious leader named Nicodemus came to talk with Jesus one night, he declared that God was with Jesus because of all the miraculous signs Jesus performed. Jesus had this penetrating response: “I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again. … Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit” (John 3:3, 6).
The phrase “born again” in Scripture literally means “to be born from above”—a spiritual rebirth. A Christian is a man, woman, or child who has experienced a spiritual new birth through the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit. That new birth is a gift of God, through Jesus Christ, given by the grace He freely offers to all.
Some believe you can be born into a faith. For example, a child born to Muslim parents is considered a Muslim by many people. A son or daughter born to a Jewish mother is typically considered to be a  Jew, and someone born into a Christian family is often assumed to be a Christian. No one, however, is ever automatically a Christian by birth. To be a Christian, you must make a conscious choice to turn from your sins—that’s repentance—and by faith believe that Jesus is the Son of God, who loved us, paid the price of our sins on Calvary’s cross, shed His blood and died, was buried, and was raised to life on the third day.
The Word  says, “This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him” (1 John 4:9).The moment we do so, the Holy Spirit makes us alive in Christ, imparting the gift of eternal life, and making us entirely new creatures in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17).
How do we tell if it’s real in our lives? The Bible says, “We know that we have come to know him if we obey his commands. The man who says, ‘I know him,’ but does not do what he commands, … the truth is not in him” (1 John 2:3–4).
A Christian, then, is a person who is born again by the Spirit of God as he or she wholeheartedly trusts in Jesus Christ and seeks to follow Him in obedience. There is no other way to the Father, no other way to be a Christian, than through personal faith in the Son of God. “I am the way and the truth and the life,” Jesus said. “No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6).
Hundreds of young people became Christians at each of our Rock the River evangelistic events in three major Canadian cities in August. As they heard the Gospel, the Holy Spirit convicted them of sin, and they repented. They turned in faith to Jesus Christ, were born again, and received new, resurrection life.
Please remember to pray for me as I preach the Gospel in Osaka, Japan, this month and in Eastern Europe later in the fall. Satan wants to take as many people to Hell with him as he can, but God wants all to repent and turn from their sin so they can enjoy eternity in Heaven with Him. The Bible says that God “is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9).
 Your faithful intercessory prayers make you a shareholder in the great work of evangelism and discipleship. This is all we do, because becoming a follower of Christ through the new birth is the most important step a person can make in this life, and for the life hereafter.
I’m sure there is someone you know—maybe a loved one or close friend—who has not experienced the new birth in Jesus Christ. I encourage you to continue in your prayer for that person and to ask the Lord for fresh opportunities to talk about what it means to be Christian. You might even share this letter with someone who needs to know."
After hearing about Bishop Eddie Long being accused of "inappropriate behavior"I felt the question needs to be posed by each of us to each of us as to what is a Christian?  If Christ came back what would he find you doing?  Would he find you in the jail ministering to the lost?  Would he find you at the hospital caring for the sick? Would he find you among the elderly caring and loving on them. Would he find you among the homeless and the fatherless?
Fancy cars, big houses, attractive women, jewelry and mega churches is that what being a Christian is all about? If you truly want to know what a follower of Christ entails, pick up your cross and follow him. For the road is rough but the path is straight and  the reward is eternal life. For there will be no more tears no more pain in the place Christ wants to lead us too.

SO WHAT DOES IT  TAKE T O BE A CHRISTIAN????

 The Bible also says that “if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved” (Romans 10:9).

oh Men of God come out of your sin closet and enter into your prayer closet 3

What is done in darkness is always brought to the light.

You do not  have to believe me, look at 2nd Samuel Chapter 11& 12.  Our Heavenly Father called David a man after His own heart and yet David once tried to keep a sin hidden. In the days when a king was to lead his army into battle, David decided to stay home. As he was resting on the balcony of his palace, he noticed a woman bathing. Instead of looking away, he let his eyes rest on her and he became enticed by her beauty. He decided he must have her. After inquiring about her he found out that she was Bathsheba the wife of Uriah one of his commanders who was away at war. Even so he sent for her and she soon became pregnant by him. David hoped to hide his sin bringing back Uriah from the war and telling him to go and stay with his wife. Uriah refused and said that as long as there was a war he would not sleep in his home. David then decided that the only other way was to cover up was to let Uriah die in battle. So he commanded that he be put on the front lines. When the news came that he had been killed David took Bathsheba in to his house as his wife. David thought it was over and that his sin would never be found out. One day the prophet Nathan came to David and to him the story of a poor man who owned a lamb. That little lamb meant everything to that man. It was like a member of his family. But there was a rich man who owned many sheep. The rich man one day entertained a traveler and instead of serving him one of his own sheep, he slaughtered the poor mans lamb. David was angry at this tale and wanted to punish the rich man for what he had done. At this, Nathan told David that David was the guilty one and what he thought he had hidden God saw. David repented but his child that was born by Bathsheba died as a consequence of his sin.  Do you have a sin which you keep secret?  Yes I know many of you might think wow Dr. H, what a silly question to ask, but sometimes it us who is silly to think that we can hide anything from our Heavenly Father our sins. We hope no one will ever find out about? In America one of the big problems is hidden sexual sin. Adultery, pre-marital sex, incest, pornography. All of these are rampant. Perhaps you have problems with alcohol, drugs or gambling? Maybe even what you don’t think is such a big sin as lying or theft? The only one who knows is you and your Heavenly Father. And it is because the Father knows that unless you do something to deal with that sin, He will be forced to deal with it in His way. The way He will deal with it is never pleasant. He usually exposes it to our embarrassment. A few well known tela- evangelists (Bishop Long, Swaggart etc..)  have had their sins exposed to the entire world.


Why would the Lord expose our sin? Because He loves us. Sin brings death and enslavement. When someone is suffering from cancer a surgeon must cut it out before it spreads. Surgery is never pleasant. But is necessary in order to save a life. So yes having our sin exposed hurts, but having it exposed and revealed can save our lives.  It's time we come to that place of repentance, for tomorrow is promise to no man. Our Heavenly Father is faithful and He will forgive us. We have pastors and elders and brothers and sisters in Christ  who are willing to help us get through it.  But key is to be able to come  to the Father and confess our sins for He is faithful and quick to forgive us.  So what are we waiting for?  I have reiterated to my children many times that if they have made a mistake or have an issue to come to me and let us together reason through it. I have learned the technic from my Heavenly Father who also invites each of us to come to him in the same manner. He stand there with His arms stretched out waiting.


"For nothing is secret that will not be revealed, nor anything hidden that will not be known and come to light."  (Luke 8:17)

oh Men of God come out of your sin closet and enter into your prayer closet 2

Sin committed in privacy, really do you actually think that our Heavenly Father does not see all that you do?  David said if I made my bed in hell also would you be, there is no where we can go or do that our Father is not able to see us. The only person you deceive is yourself when you think that your hidden in your sin closet.  Your wife may not know about you surfing those porn sites, the deacons might know about it, but the Father does, it is not His will that you or I should crawl around in the mud and filth of the pig pen.  Stand up on man of God, stand up!  You might have actually drunken the Kool Aide the enemy is tell you to drink, but remember this that If Christ can call the dead out of the grave. He is also  to set  men free of sexual sin, or anger, pride or even jealousy. For the Lord God sets free is free at last and is for eternity.

 Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself:  That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him:  In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will: (Ephesians 1:9-11)

 For nothing is secret, that shall not be made manifest; neither any thing hid, that shall not be known and come abroad.  (Luke 8:17)

For there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; neither hid, that shall not be known. Therefore whatsoever ye have spoken in darkness shall be heard in the light; and that which ye have spoken in the ear in closets shall be proclaimed upon the housetops.  (Luke 12:2:3)

Oh Men of God come out of your sin closet and enter into your prayer closet

 I have sinned as great a sin as has any person that has lived. I understand the mind of a loss man. I know the anguish of coming face to face with my own sinful nature. It is a difficult, humbling thing to do. The hurt that accompanies the acknowledgement of personal weaknesses can be overwhelming. Many times it seems easier to just live with it. But that only hides the pain for a little while. Rather than showing you how to take your sin into the open, true love cares enough to point the way into the closet of prayer. Oh men of God its time we destroy that closet of sin and build up a prayer closet. Not a closet of shame, but the closet where there is rest, peace and mercy for all that will enter into it.  There was a time when I too created my own laws, a time when I ignored the authority of both man and God. In the course of the passing, right became wrong and wrong became right such that I stepped beyond even my wildest imaginations of where I might go if left to my own devices. Sin, in all of its ugly false promises, nearly destroyed my home, my family, and my life. But then Jesus came into my heart, and that which Satan sought to devour has been returned in a multiple beyond my understanding. The sin that once owned me without my knowledge is now an open enemy to be battle with all my might through a power that exceeds my personal weaknesses. It is God who now indwells this earthly vessel, and is His strength that overcomes my shames, my failures, and my pride at victories.
Even as a Christian there are times when the man in me would cast away scriptures that do not fit my fleshly desires. It is a day-by-day battle, this mortifying of the flesh. Sometimes I desire to lay down the oars that perhaps the war would end. Jesus said that the laborer should come to him, that the burdened should also come. End your self efforts is His meaning. Lay down your shame is His gift.
We are soldiers in  God's army, which though the battle is already won. There is a peace in the mist of the war that no Christian can explain to the lost. It is a peace that can never be gained through "Hiding out in your sin closet" while retaining the sin. It is a peace that surpasses all that this world can ever offer such that when full of all earthly needs I have within me the presences of Christ, and when lacking of all but the essentials of earthly survival I still have within me the presences of Christ.


But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly," (Matthew 6:6).

 While it is true that a Christian man are called to be the head of the household, you must keep in mind that you are to strive to be as Christ-like in your dealings with your wife and family as possible. Love your wife, honor your family, and make good decisions for everyone involved. Being a Christian is more than going to church on Sunday and plopping some money into the donation plate. You should approach everything in your life from a Christian perspective, especially your marriage. The Bible has clear instructions as to how a man should treat his wife, and it does not include ruling with an iron fist.  As a Christian husband and father you should turn to God often to seek guidance and strength. The best way to do this is through prayer and reading the Bible. Make sure that your wife and children understand that this is how you make decisions for the family, and that your decisions are designed to do what is best for the family in the eyes of God.

You should be a good example to your wife, your children, and the people around you. As a Christian husband you represent your family and the church, and if you are spending your weekends in a drunken stupor then you're certainly not portraying a very good representation of a Christian husband. Being a husband is a big responsibility, but with the help of the Bible you can be the kind of husband a woman is proud to be married to. Forgive the problems of your wife and family as you would want them to forgive you. Humans sin. Since you are called to be Christ-like in your actions as a husband then remember that Christ forgave everyone for their sins. This is certainly not to say that you should allow yourself to be treated like a doormat by your wife, but you should keep in mind that there is not one person on this planet who is perfect. By forgiving others, you may receive forgiveness when you seek it. Remember your wife is the daughter of a king, He will not take kindly to your miss treatment of her and not loving her as He does.


May the Lord keep you and continue to bless you. Oh men of God stand up and rule your home with love, grace and mercy as Christ also abides over you.  Sisters let these men know that being under the covering of their love and mercy and grace bring you great joy to be in the arms of a Godly man. I know I hope daily that when my wife speaks of me to other women that she describes me as a Godly man.  If not then I have brought shame upon myself and discredit to the Lord. For I'm to be a mirror of him to my wife and children, are you doing that my brothers in your home???

Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her." Christ loved the church so much that he gave up his life in order to save everyone else. (Ephesians 5:25)

It was the nails in his hands, or the nails in his feet. That kept him on the cross, but the love of God for you and I.manifesting itself in grace and mercy.

In the book of Acts 4:33 "And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of
the Lord Jesus: and great grace was upon them all."

The apostle Peter observed that believers are to be ministering our "gift" to one another as "good stewards of the manifold grace of God" 1 Peter 4:10. The words for "gift" and "grace" are very closely related. "Grace" is the most frequent translation for the Greek word charis, and charisma is most often rendered "gift."

"The working of his mighty power" Ephesians 1:19 appears to be "the manifestation of the Spirit" 1 Corinthians 12:7 displayed among God's people by means of the gifts that the Holy Spirit has graced us
with. Paul's ability to minister was "according to the gift of the grace of God given unto him, Paul by the effectual working of his power" Ephesians 3:7.

Thus, when we preach the gospel, we are using "the power of God unto salvation" Romans 1:16. When our lives radically change in response to the "new man" created in us by God, we do so by "the grace of our
Lord" which is "exceeding abundant with faith and love" 1 Timothy 1:14. When we access the strength to rise above our infirmities or difficult circumstances, we experience that the Lord's "grace is sufficient for thee…. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me" 2 Corinthians 12:9.

"And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment; That ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ. Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God"

It was justice that demanded that we die for your sins. For that is the wages of sin death.  but it was Grace and Mercy that stepped in and said we shall pay the price for man kind. Your sin debt is covered under the blood of Christ, let us each day rise up oh men and women of God and praise the Lord our God
for we were bought with a price.  That none of us could pay.

Stand up oh men of God

Oh men of God here is another favorite of mine from 2011

Stand up oh men of God
Stand up
Stand up oh men of God
For where are our Courageous men of God????
Where are they???


Oh men of God, hear me today we battle not against  flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. The battle that rages on daily is for your soul, though he uses the desires of the flesh as his weapon against you oh men of God. Rise up oh men of God and fall down upon your knees daily humbling yourself before the Lord your God and confessing our great need to be healed of sexual immorality.  If your a brother who does not battle with this issue praise God for you. Now lock arms with a brother who does battle with sexual immorality, stand in the gap for him in prayer and encourage him in the word and be there for him lean upon.
2 Chronicles 34:
19And it came to pass, when the king had heard the words of the law, that he rent his clothes.
 20And the king commanded Hilkiah, and Ahikam the son of Shaphan, and Abdon the son of Micah, and Shaphan the scribe, and Asaiah a servant of the king's, saying,
 21Go, enquire of the LORD for me, and for them that are left in Israel and in Judah, concerning the words of the book that is found: for great is the wrath of the LORD that is poured out upon us, because our fathers have not kept the word of the LORD, to do after all that is written in this book.

Now notice that Josiah didn't say, it just human nature,he didn't say come on let not be legalistic about all of this. Instead he was outraged and tore his clothing realizing that he and his people had been displeasing to God.

Josiah removed all the detestable idols from all the land belonging to the Israelites.
Oh men of God what is in your life right now that you have made an idol of?
What things are your eye's seeing that are harming your walk with God?
Men deal with their sexual nature, women may not or can not always understand it. Perhaps there are some sisters among us that are also dealing with their sexual nature.  Search yourself and find out what things have you put before your worship of God.


JOB 31:

 9 “If my heart has been enticed by a woman,
      Or if I have lurked at my neighbor’s door. Job speaks about allowing our hearts and our eyes to wonder.  Paul speaks to us about our sexual nature, yes if it were just a switch that men could turn on and off or the wife could turn it off till she desires you to have it on.  That would perhaps be easier, but instead it is always on.  So we must guard our hearts, if the Lord has provided you with a wife then give thanks and look upon her and see the glory of the Lord in what he has given you seek your joy no place else.
I know, I know that Television, movies, billboard and even women in your work place or the mall etc... dress and act in a manor that temps many of us.  But we are not dogs nor are we tail of the ass, we son of the Living God. Take up your authority in Christ and stand up against these things that would become idols and steal your heart and eyes away from God and your spouse.
Oh men of God gather about yourselves 2 or 3 men of good reputation to stand with you in the gap, as you over come the idols in your life.  Perhaps in your house the Television need to be removed for a season, or parental controls or just watch Christian DVD's, or spend that time in fellowship with your spouse and family.  Maybe that computer needs to be turned off or removed, there is software that can block those site that divert your heart and eyes from God and your spouse.  Anything that comes between you and God and your spouse  is an idol. For God your spouse and you are 3 strands cord and must remain that way if your marriage is to remain firm and strong and fruitful as the Lord God desires it to be, then you must live holly as our Lord God is holly.

Matthew 15: 19 tells me that out of the heart of a man comes evil  Sexual immorality and a list of others issues but we are speaking on man's sexual issues. Sexual issues with man kind is not new, most women might want to believe that but from the moment Eve showed up man has been dealing with sexual issues.  So sisters instead of rebuking your man and causing him to crawl deeper into his sin cave, let him know that you might not understand what he is feeling or why he is feeling it,  but that you are there to support him in prayer let him that your arms are wide open for him come and feel your loving embrace and know that you are the Godly woman that Christ gave to him to stand with him and if need be in front of him in this battle. Key is that knows he is no longer alone and he can come out of that cave. That he can stand up again no longer cowry down and hide in the darkness in shame, cause sisters Lucifer has marked your marriage for destruction. Will you stand by and let him do that ? While most men may be foolish enough to think it is only effecting them, the truth of the matter is Lucifer's wants to destroy your home your children and your marriage. Simply because he knows that God ordained marriage.

Sisters I want to speak to you for a second, do not use sex as a reward or a punishment for your husband. For your body is not your own but his and his yours.  Do not become a stumbling block to your husband.  Be his comfort and his helpmate, he may not understand now but he needs your love more than he can ever understand or know.

Like a roaring lion going back and forth looking for whom he might devour, men do not become Lucifer's next meal. Stand tall oh men of God, wives love your husbands and support them in prayer daily. Men girt up yourself in the holly garments of the Lord, that you might resist the sins of the flesh.

I encourage you men to get a copy of Every man's Battle, women  read it also. If you know of brother or sister that has issues dealing with sexual immorality then this books is a good book to read and be encouraged by it.

Matthew 23

Why did Christ warn His disciples to beware of the Pharisees? What did they do wrong?  (An entire chapter of the Bible (Matthew 23) is Christ teaching against the Pharisees.)  The Pharisees were conservative, faithful "church" members. They accepted the Torah as the Word of God. They paid tithes. They believed in miracles (at least in days past). They wouldn't dream of stealing, committing adultery, or such things. You would like living next to a Pharisee as they were model citizens.    But instead of having a living relationship with God, the Pharisees took the Word of God and made just another dead religion out of it.  The Pharisee way of thinking is: keep up appearances. "It doesn't matter so much what you are on the inside, as long as you keep the rules (at least publicly)."  Notice that Christ likened their teaching to leaven, or yeast. Why? Yeast spreads easily and rapidly. Humans are very susceptible to approaching God in this manner, "Keep the rules. Just do these 10 things and you are OK."  Different groups may have different rules, but we all accumulate them. It may be how many times each week you must attend church meetings, or what kind of clothes you must wear, or how you must wear your hair. Or, it may be a list of things you cannot do. But, as long as you meet these requirements, you are in good standing with your group (or denomination).  But, good standing with God is based on only one thing according to the New Testament: faith in what Christ did for us. That alone is what makes us right with God. Not our works, but Christ' work.  1 ... He began to say to His disciples first of all, "Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.  The Pharisees were hypocrites. That is, they put on an act. What they pretended to be in public was not really what they were like in private. They claimed to be perfect in keeping God's law, but as humans they were all sinners, just like the rest of the people were. Yet, in public, they insisted that others keep the Law perfectly, or be condemned.  They were quick to pass judgment on others, and slow to extend mercy or help. The Pharisees had a legalistic view of God's Word and did not realize that God was merciful and wanted to help people.    who also made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.  Using God's Word to "kill" instead of using it to minister life is wrong. God's Word is meant to help people and lift them up, not place such hard demands on them that they cannot ever measure up. When we load people down with heavy loads of rules to keep in order to be right with God, we are ministers of death.    Then Christ said to the crowds and to his disciples,  "The teachers of religious law and the Pharisees are the official interpreters of the law of Moses.  So practice and obey whatever they tell you, but don't follow their example. For they don't practice what they teach.  They crush people with impossible religious demands and never lift a finger to ease the burden.  "Everything they do is for show. . . .  If your "Christianity" is nothing more than a list of "do's and don't's" then you are missing real Christianity, which is a living relationship with Christ. 

My Redeemer Lives

My Redeemer Lives (Bring it back one more time)

Yes  for those of you that noticed this is a rehashing of devotional already written, and if you didn't notice then either you didn't read it the first time or it didn't do anything for you. Does not matter here it is again. Read it study and believe in him for he is our redeemer.

To redeem someone requires something valuable as a ransom. Silver and gold and precious metal. However, we were redeemed with something even more valuable--the precious blood of Christ.  He is not just a redeemer; he is our kinsman redeemer.



My redeemer lives, Matthew 28: (v 6)The followers of Christ are told he is no longer in the grave for he has risen. Redeemer is define as :  deliver: save from sins or restore the honor or worth of.  Christ did exactly that for you and I. We  are reminded in  Isaiah 64; that our righteousness was like filthy rags. Meaning we needed a redeemer, God choose his only begotten son to be that kinsman redeemer.

In 1st Peter chapter 1 we are informed as to how we were redeemed, knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers,  but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.  He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you and I. Again we needed him to set us free for we were bond by sin and enslaved to it.  Christ paid the ransom for us and set us free when he rose on that 1st day of the week we now know as Sunday we also rose with him.  He made us new creatures in Christ because of his ransom we are redeemed.

 He is not just a redeemer; he is our kinsman redeemer. Christ agreed from the foundation of the world to be our redeemer (Revelation 13:8). He came down from heaven as the bread of life (John 6:35). He took on the life of the flesh and was tempted in all points even as we are, and yet did not sin (Hebrews 4:15). He is our elder brother (Hebrews 2:11).
Leviticus 25:47-49 gives us a better idea of what the Hebrew bible says  a redeemer is and does.
Colossians 2:13-14 shows how Christ paid our debt for sin when he was nailed to  to the cross, as payment for our sins.
"And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses;
"Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to the cross."
 Because the redeemer lives then does that not mean that the price was paid for you and I? You now have been made righteous before the Lord. Oh men of God stop trying to redeem yourselves through works, for they have failed you before you begun. Have faith in the Lord your God, that when he said it was finished he meant it.  So rejoice for our redeemer lives and so do we,  with him for eternity. So my brothers/sisters that is the good new, one day very soon the redeemer shall return and there will be no more crying or dieing  he shall wipe away every tear.

May the Lord Keep and continue to bless and directly in your daily struggles.

Psalm 68:3

At least five times the Bible tells the people of God to rejoice in the Lord. We may not always be able to rejoice in other people, or in our circumstances.We can becp,e frustrated. We can be immature. We can
be undependable. Need I go on? But the Lord is different! God is dependable. God is faithful. God is honest. God is good. God is patient. God is kind. God is understanding. God is merciful and gracious.  When we focus on our circumstances, or on what people do, we can lose our joy quickly. But with a true understanding of what God is really like, we cannot help but rejoice because of His goodness and greatness.
If you are not sure what God is really like, then look at Jesus Christ in the pages of the Four Gospels in the New Testament. Jesus Christ perfectly revealed to us what God is like.

 But let the righteous be glad; Let them rejoice before God; Yes, let them rejoice exceedingly. (Psalm 68:3).

Revelation 21:4

Emilie Parker, Father confuses a nation, I listen to CNN reporters where they were confused and they tried to put a liberal spin on. BUt he spoke of his daughter would have wanted to pray for others. Now he lost his daughter in a horrible way. Emilie's Father spoke of her being with her Heavenly Father now, I smiled because I knew this was a Father who was a believer that knew, "He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” I watch another set of parents crying and saying  they want someone to tell them that it is going to be okay. They are eager to put their trust in all the wrong things, Put not your trust in kings or princes for they will fail you, let trust in the Lord our God for him and him alone is our redeemer and refuge, though the enemy may destroy the body but the soul he can have for he have entrusted our soul to the Lord our God, so fear not the things that this world can do to you, For Paul counted it all joy whether he lived or died for it was until the lord that we exist. Like Paul I'm convinced nothing can separate us from the love of God. If  now God is standing by wanting America to return back to him its first love. I know our misguided president lied and said we are not a Christian nation, perhaps he speaks of himself but we who love the Lord know that we are a Christian nation that must return back to our first love.




 And you killed the Author of life, whom God raised from the dead. To this we are witnesses.
 And his name—by faith in his name—has made this man strong whom you see and know, and the faith that is through Jesus[a] has given the man this perfect health in the presence of you all.
 “And now, brothers, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did also your rulers. (Acts 3:15-17).

Matthew 3:1-2

A kingdom is the domain of a king. It is wherever a king governs, or is in control. A king can be in control without being physically present. Wherever his ideas and rules are governing is part of his domain, or kingdom. The Kingdom of God includes everywhere the Father dwells.God is love, so the Kingdom of God is the Kingdom of Love. There can be no selfishness in the Kingdom of Love. In the Kingdom of Love, everyone delights to help others. Not by force, for it will be our joy. Every inhabitant will have the same nature as Jesus Christ, a nature of selfless love for others. So the Kingdom of God is not restricted to a certain place or time, like Spain or the USA  or even Heaven. The Kingdom of God is everywhere that God is accepted and acknowledged. The Kingdom of God is everywhere the nature and ideas of God govern.
The Kingdom of God means the rule of God. Not accepting  God's Word and His offer to create a place for you to dwell with Him forever. Denying the offer to dwell with Him in his kingdom is stepping into
the kingdom of darkness. Why would choose pain over joy, if you deny Christ that is exactly what your doing.



 In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea,
  And saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand! (Matthew 3:1-2)

Mark 9:23

Most people like to "play it safe." They don't even want their boat to rock, let alone consider getting out and "walking on water." God allows us to make choices. God's plan is that we would walk with Him in His realm of miracles, but He allows us to grow and develop until we are ready. He does not force us. Notice that Peter was the one who chose to walk on water. And Peter did walk on water, if only for a short time. As long as Peter kept His focus on Jesus he stayed in faith, but when he focused on the circumstances, he became afraid and sunk back into the natural realm. Jesus told us that all things are possible if we believe. Therefore, our limits are self-imposed, not imposed by God. If we change our beliefs to line up with God's Word, we can see amazing results.
 Right before Peter  endevored to walked on  water, Jesus fed a
crowd of 5,000 men, plus women and children, starting with only five loaves of bread and two fish. Most think only Jesus could do such things, but Jesus told us in John 14:12 that those who believe in Him would do the same works He did. So if we believe what Jesus said in John 14:12, we must believe we can multiply food as He did. But Jesus was not the first, or only one, to supernaturally multiply food on earth. Not only did God supernaturally provide food (manna) for 40years in the wilderness for all the children of Israel, but
food was also multiplied through the ministry of Elijah  It is easy to think we could never do things like Elijah, but Scripture says Elijah was a man just like us. Obviously, we are being encouraged to believe great things can happen through our lives, too. The key is to realize that the power is of God and not of us. God has done great things through others, and He can do them through you, also!  But you are the one who must choose to believe that God's Word is true. If you never "step out of your boat" and act on God's Word, you will not see miracles happen. God will not love you any less if you are afraid and choose to stay in your little boat. But you were not created to be imprisoned in a little boat. You were created to grow up to be like Jesus and walk with Him. It's great to "walk on water" with Jesus. So don't be afraid to launch out into new areas of faith. Step out in faith on God's Word. Even if you begin to "sink" Jesus will rescue you, so
don't be afraid.

 Jesus said to him, “If you can believe,[a] all things are possible to him who believes.” (Mark 9:23).

Romans 3:20

We cannot save ourselves, if we could have Jesus would not have had to leave glory to come down here and die for a sinner like me. We cannot make ourselves acceptable to God by our own efforts. We can only come to Him and accept His free gift, Jesus Christ. When we receive Jesus we also receive right standing with God better know as righteousness for it is the garment Jesus has given us to wear it has washed away our sin and made a new garment which white as snow.Jesus came to set us free from our sin not to remain in slavery to sins, Jesus refused to leave us trapped in sin. For the price for our sin was eternal separation for God which means Heaven was not on the list of homes for you to remain, but hell was the only home we would have know had Jesus not loved us so much that he was willing to pay a price that we could not pay.

 Quit trying to be right with God by their own efforts, and accept the gift of righteousness by receiving Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior no future actions is required you don't have spend ten years going door to door, just accept and believe and that is all is required to receive the free gift of eternal life. Or, try to be good enough for God to accept them based on their own performance.

Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin (Romans 3:20).

Joshua 24:15

Most of us don't realize that God has given us the power to choose whether we will be blessed or not.
We choose whether to go God's way and be blessed, or ignore God and go our own way and reap the unfortunate consequences. God has given mankind an amazing freedom to  choose. God does not force blessing on us regardless of the fact that wants to bless us, it is up to accept the offer to be blessed. God is a gentleman He will force himself upon us we must choose blessing by choosing God and His ways.
God did not create us to be puppets, robots, or slaves. God desires a family He can fellowship with. There would be no joy in being loved by a robot who had no choice, so God created us with the freedom and the right to make choices.With  these amazing power called freedom of  choice also came the responsibility to
make them. So we must make choices. God does not make our choices for us which is why it is called free will.   How do we choose life and blessing? By what we choose to think. Our thoughts guide our actions. That is why feeding or meditating on the Word of God is so vital. The thoughts we allow to dominate our consciousness will determine the focus and direction of our life. We choose whom we will serve. We choose who and what will influence and thus govern our thoughts and actions.

 And if it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord" (Joshua 24:15).

PSALM 78:41

God is unlimited but  we can limit what God does for us by our unbelief. God cannot deny Himself. That means He cannot act contrary to who He is and what He has said. But beyond that God has no limits that we know of. The Bible tells us the people of Israel limited what God could do for them. We should not make the same mistake.  Every fingerprint is different. Every eyeball is different. Every ear is different. No two leopards have the same spots. Yet people think things like: "God cannot work outside of our denomination." "Every church has to be just like ours." "God can only move in this one way." "God will only do this, if " But God is bigger than you realize! God may have a million different ways to do something. Just look at what He created. There is not just one type of bug. No, there are millions. We know of nearly a million types of beetles alone. So don't limit God in your thinking. He is God all by Himself, His word says He has plains to prosper us, its time we trust Him and stop limiting our Heavenly Father.  So spouse is not walking right or your kids are not being respectful,  and you hate your job, bring it to the Father and leave them in God's hands, all you need to do is trust Him and keep reflecting Christ in all you do. Call on the Father and remember He may not come when we want Him to but He is always on time



 Yea, they turned back and tempted God, and limited the Holy One of Israel (Psalm 78:41).

Roman 5:2

We may not always have good circumstances around us that would cause us to rejoice. But we can always rejoice in hope. What is hope? Hope is a positive expectation for the future. Things may not
be great now, but you can have a hope that the future will be better. (Hope is always future, by definition, but can be in the near future -- not just when we get to Heaven.) According to Romans 8:24, hope involves what is not seen. The only way humans have of dealing with things that are unseen is by using our imagination.
Hope is not seen, or detectable by our physical senses. Hope is a positive imagination, something we can only see inwardly. As Christian believers we can rejoice in hope. We can rejoice when circumstances are not perfect. We can rejoice ahead of time.  As we mature as Christians, we are not to be controlled
exclusively by our physical senses. Being controlled by the physical senses is what the Bible refers to as being "carnally minded." Because we believe what God has said, we know that we have a bright future. A glorious future with God! In this we can, and should, rejoice now! And as we rejoice in hope, our present situation will also be affected for good.




through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. (Romans 5:2)

Be doers of the Word

Spiritual growth is similar to physical growth. Time, food, and activity are the requirements. God's Word provides our spiritual food.  A full supply of nutritious spiritual food is the main requirement for spiritual growth. But spiritual activity is also required for you to grow strong, instead of just growing fat.  Acting on God's Word is spiritual activity. Some examples are speaking God's Word, praying, praising God, being thankful,walking in love, and trusting God. Speaking God's Word is vital for spiritual growth. You must
personalize and internalize what God said about you. Then you will begin to think, see, and act in line with God's Word. This process is Bible meditation. Remember that growth is a process so don't become discouraged if you don't have abundant spiritual fruit immediately. Just keep feeding on God's Word and it will produce the fruit of growth.  When you grow spiritually, you will grow in faith and love. Lord God I want to bare good fruit that will glorify you, I want my life to speak of you, may the life I live speak of you. May your perfect love be reflected in how I love my wife and children and all that you place into my life. Let not my word speak of you but my actions would overflow with your love.


 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.  For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; (James 1:22-23).

God's plan for us as His children here on earth is that our walk with Him be a walk of faith. Faith has to do with things that are not seen, or perceived with our physical senses.  God's Word is our evidence for our faith. We know God cannot lie. Whatever God says -- if it is not already evident to our physical senses  will eventually come to pass. For whatever God says comes to pass. According to the Bible, God only had to
speak and the universe was created. You will never grow strong spiritually until you learn to put what God says in His Word ahead of what your circumstances and physical senses tell you. God does not ask you to deny what your physical senses tell you, but to believe His Word above all other evidence. God simply wants you to believe that He tells the truth. In this regard, the Bible tells us Abraham was an example of
faith. God told Abraham he would be a father of many nations, yet Abraham had no children and his wife was too old to have children.  Abraham still believed God's promise, and it came to pass.  Faith is no different for us today. God is speaking to us through His Word, the Bible, and when we believe what God
said, impossible things become possible. As we keep our focus on God and His Word, we can be fully
convinced, like Abraham, that God is able to do all He has said. For faith comes by hearing the Word .

 
 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen (Hebrews 11:1)

revival is needed in  America

If revival can come to a wicked city like Nineveh in response to the preaching of God’s Word by Jonah, then I believe there is hope for our nation. The results of the recent election show a definite move toward secularism and a shift away from Christian values and biblical morality. In some states, same sex marriage was approved and marijuana was legalized. Unbelievably, whether it was apathy or indifference, there were millions of evangelical Christians who stayed at home and did not go to the polls. Had more Christians exercised their right and privilege to vote in this election, perhaps the outcomes on the national and state levels could have been quite different. However, I believe that followers of Jesus Christ can still make a crucial difference in our country going forward. I would like to call on Christians in America to especially pray for our president and all those in authority. God desires that “petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people—for kings and those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness” (1 Timothy 2:1–2 ).

While I don’t think our nation can experience God’s hand of favor if we continue to turn our back on Him, I do believe that praying Christians who take a bold stand for Christ can help stem the rising tide of godlessness in our nation. Because God is slow to anger and merciful to sinners, it is important that we do all we can to bring the message of repentance of sins and forgiveness through Christ to as many people as we can and to do so with a real sense of urgency. We need to pray diligently for the lost, for revival in our own hearts and in churches, and for a turning of our nation to God.

We have a right to believe for the salvation of all our family members. God's desire is for everyone to know Him and enjoy life with Him. God never forces anyone to accept Him and love Him. But when we
pray for people, God releases His forces and strongly influences them with His truth. When people are confronted with the reality of God, they will accept Him. Spiritual blindness is the only reason anyone rejects Jesus Christ. Praying for those we love, gives God a valid invitation to work in their lives, so they can know the truth. We should also use the authority of Jesus' Name to break the devil's blindness over our loved ones.  There is a spiritual reason why people have not accepted the Lord Jesus Christ. We must deal with the root of the problem, not just the outward circumstances. We can command the devil to release them and stop blinding them to the truth. When we pray for others it may not seem like anything is happening outwardly, but behind the scenes we can be certain that God is working. We should continue in faith and resist any
thoughts of doubt.

           
 So they said, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household." (Act 16:31).

Since the Bible reveals that we, who have been made righteous by receiving Jesus Christ, are to live by faith, we need to know what faith is. Faith is what you believe. In the New Testament, faith is the noun form and believe is the verb form of the same word. Faith is not difficult to understand. If you believe something,
that is your faith. Faith and belief are the same thing. A belief is something you have accepted as truth and consider to be true, whether it is actually true or not. Faith is not a feeling, attitude, outlook, or state. Faith is
primarily a choice, a decision of your will. Nothing can force you to believe. What you believe is a decision you make. Here is a definition: Faith is always a decision, based on some evidence, resulting in some action.
So faith is when you are persuaded by the evidence you have been presented, and you make the decision to accept it as truth worthy of action. If you were told the building you were in was on fire, you could say all day "I believe the building is on fire." But when you actually believe it, you will leave the building.
Faith in God is a choice to believe what God says is true. It is accepting God's Word as evidence worthy of acting upon. Faith in God and His Word operates on the same principles as faith in anything else. There are no special rules. It is all a matter of what you believe.







 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.  For by it the elders obtained a good testimony (Hebrews 11:1-2).

God is clearly "the Lord, the righteous judge", but He is also "the God of love and peace". Not only in our text verse but also in another place, we are reminded that "God is love". Of all the attributes of God, His nature of love is the most definitive. God is love!

It was not His omnipotence nor His omniscience that constrained Him to create men and women in His image. It must have been His nature of love, the desire for fellowship with beings like Himself. There is not much revealed on this question--only hints. "I have created him for my glory"

"And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him." (1 John 4:16)

If you want to grow as you should as a Christian  feed on God's Word just as a newborn baby desires to be fed. If you know anything about babies, you know they require regular feeding! It's not just a quick reading of the Word that you need. You must chew the Word to get the "milk" out of it. This just means you need to meditate on God's Word to get all that you should from it. You can't just gulp it down quickly and expect to
receive all its nutrition. It takes some time and effort to think on the Word and digest it, so that it becomes a part of us. The food we take into our physical bodies does not nourish us unless we properly digest and assimilate it into our cells. Spiritual food is the same. The Word you read has to "become flesh" in you. It has to become part of you. As it nourishes you, it will change you by changing the way you see yourself and the way you see others. It is possible to study the Bible and not believe it, not personalize it, and not internalize it. This type of mental study does not feed your spirit. Personalizing the Word and speaking it, helps us digest the Word so it becomes part of us. This, along with thinking and seeing in agreement with the Word, is Bible meditation. You are who God says you are. You have what God says you have. You can do what God says you can do. You need to say whatever God has said about you. This is the primary way you will be fed
and grow spiritually.  God's Word produces faith in our hearts and renews our minds. It is vital for our spiritual growth. God's Word is our spiritual food.



 But He answered and said, "It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God" (Matthew 4:4).

If we truly want to understand why people do what they do, realize that we are created to need love.It is not just a desire, but a need. If humans are not getting love, they will do whatever they can to try and get it.
Many foolish and harmful things are done simply because people are craving love. We want someone to value us, to even delight in us. We are driven by our need for love and acceptance. All of us want to
be special to someone. Insecurity is the lie from the great deceiver that tells you and I that we are not good enough, that no one will ever love someone like me and I'm not worthy or good enough to ever be loved.
However your Heavenly Father  knows everything about you, and He still considers you so valuable that He was willing to die for you! Who sends his son to die for no good reason? God sent his son because he loves each us and to Him we have a value. If people only knew the truth about the Father and the depth of his love for you and I, that He truly loves them and wants them to simply turn from sin and turn to his loving arms that are open wide waiting for them to run right into them. Have you told someone today that God loves them? After all we are God's representatives on earth the hands and feet the only way for the world to know about the love of God is via us. Unless we love people, they will not believe God loves them. So start pouring out Christ love on all those that you come into contact, you can never pour out more than Jesus can fill you with. So holding onto he wants you to pour it out so he can fill you with a new love daily.



 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love (1 John 4:18).

Which Jesus do you serve

 December is a month of that we celebrate our Saviors birthday, Our Savior should be number one on your list. Its back again I will continue to repeat this till i know that each of us has answered this question for ourselves. This for me is probably the most important question that  I could ever answer for myself.  Father help me to be a earthly representation of Christ my Lord and Savior, I want to be more like Jesus and less like me. I want to ready willing to lay my life down for my wife as Christ did for the Church, not for just for a bullet but daily that she would know that I love her like Christ loved the church. I want to love my children like Christ love the little one's. I want to be a true brother to my brothers, by putting them first and even be willing to be servant to them. As Christ washed the feet of his disciples. That is the Jesus I want to serve what about you!!!!


Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. (Ephesians 5:1-2)

 The call to imitate God is a call to separate ourselves from the world though we may be in but not of it  (Ephesians 4:17-19) and how we have been made new (Ephesians 4:20-24) and then gave us specific ways to do that (Ephesians4:25-32).

Our call is to live with the same love that Christ has demonstrated.  Jesus laying down his life for us, was first of all an expression of his love for his Father. Jesus did it, not only because of his love for us, but because first of all he loved the Father and this was  the Father’s will. This ‘life of love’ is not to be something we do to make ourselves feel good or appear good, it is to come out of and be an expression of our love for God Himself.  When John says, “We love because he first loved us,” (1 John 4:19). The first thing we need to do in the Christian life is become utterly convinced of God’s love.

On Sunday they raise their hands to heaven and declare that it is Jesus that they serve.
Then why do we look so much like the world?
Did you know that the wheat and the tare, the world can't tell which is which and quite frankly neither can I. So I pose the question again, which Jesus do you serve?

My Savior bleed and suffered and died and rose again for a sinner like me. My Savior, was a friend to friendless, He remembers the forgotten ones among us, Which Jesus do you follow?
 Which Jesus do you serve?
Is it this picture of the American dream that you chase after? Is the prince of this world who you serve or did you miss that part when you decided you want fortune and power?
If Jesus was here would you walk right by him or cross over to the other side of the street?
Would you even recognize him or have time to speak to him?
Pretty blue eyes and curly brown hair and a white complexion Michael Angelo version of Jesus ,is that the Jesus you serve? My Savior was battered and bruised for my sins, did you miss that part? Sometimes I ponder do we really understand what the price he paid for us?
Blessed are the poor in spirit, for they understand and they know My Savior. So which Jesus do we serve. is it the one whom we pray to bless us with great wealth? Or the Jesus who said
blessed are they that hunger and thirst for righteousness?
 So who do you serve? The one whose promises are like shifting sand?
Marine says it God , then country and the marine Corp, what comes first for you?
My Jesus would he be accepted in your churches today? All bloody and bruised with no shoes on his feet, would we want him sitting next to us?  He was not rich he didn't have a pillow to lay his head upon. Today my Jesus would look like a homeless man or perhaps we would see him  as mentally insane.
He spent His time with criminals and those that are considered the least among us. Did you know he had a heart for the poor, so which place would  He come to eat Sabbath meal at your house or among those that were forgotten by society?
Its time we decide which Jesus do we serve but I'm not sure we understand what that means to be like Christ,
Jesus said to live like HIM, love like HIM but then does that mean we must be willing to die for HIM as he died for you and I???
Can we be Imitators of Christ? Can we live like our Savior?  Which one do you want to be ? I turned on the TV set today and heard a man preaching Jesus wants to make you rich and that he never intended for us to be poor.  Is that the Jesus your seeking??? Heard a pastor say that his Jesus says that we should never be sad. Yet my Jesus wept when heard his good friend was dead. So which Jesus do you serve?  I know that I want to be more like my Savior and less like me.  I want to be an imitator of my Savior what about you????

Luke 10:19

Many don't know it yet, but the New Testament reveals that God has given authority over the devil to all Christians. Therefore we have a responsibility to exercise that authority and stop the devil.  Have believers truly been given that responsibility? Or, should we look to God expecting Him to do it? Are we to wait on God to stop the devil's activities in our lives, or are we supposed to do something by using the authority Jesus gave us? One day I finally saw it. Romans 16:20 is not saying that God will do anything about the devil apart from you. God will work through you and satan will be crushed UNDER YOUR FEET. It will be your feet that do the crushing. The power working in you will be from God, but the feet will be yours. In other words, you must take action. You have to step out  and step on  the devil. Romans 16:20 seems to say God will stop the devil which would contradict all these other verses. But there is no contradiction when you realize it is God working through the believer to control the devil. In other words, the believer must control the devil, but the power to do it is of God. Believers must exercise their authority and resist the devil.


 "Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you (Luke 10:19).

The Greek word translated as Advocate in this verse is parakletos. It means someone called to one's aid; someone who pleads another's cause before a judge; a counsel for defense, a legal assistant, an advocate, and a helper. Many people have never fully grasped that Jesus Christ is on our side. Just like a defense lawyer, He pleads our case. We should not sin, because sin is harmful to us and to others. But even if we do sin, Jesus Christ is still on our side. He is not accusing us, but defending us on the basis of His sacrifice at Calvary. The devil is the one who accuses us, who brings up all our sins and shortcomings, and tells us we don't deserve anything good.  Jesus is not the one who is trying to find us guilty. He remains our Savior!  Jesus not only paid the penalty for all our sins by shedding His own blood, but now He is our advocate pleading our case so that we might enjoy all the blessings He purchased for us regardless of our failures.  Jesus took our place, suffering what we deserve, so that we might receive, as a free gift which is grace and mercy.

                                 
 For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him (2 Corinthians 5:21).

God's Word,  teaches children to respect, honor, and obey their parents.  Only when we are children are we to OBEY our parents. But we should always HONOR our parents as long as we live. To honor primarily means to show respect and treat with special consideration.  Children should submit to their parents and show them respect. Even if your parents do not serve God, you still must respect and obey them. However, God does not expect you to obey them when they tell you to sin by doing wrong things. From the Old Testament we learn how serious it is for children not to submit to their parents. The punishment was very severe. In those days children who refused to submit to their parents were killed! We are not living under the Old Testament law, but it was written to teach us. It shows us what God thinks of rebellious children.



 Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.
 "Honor your father and mother," which is the first commandment with promise:
"that it may be well with you and you may live long on the earth." (Ephesians 6:1-3)

2 CORINTHIANS 6:16

If you have received Jesus, then Jesus lives in you. So wherever you go, Jesus goes. Just like the donkey in the verse above, you carry Jesus.  God is not living in a building on earth, but in people who
believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. When people need or want to find God, they should be able to come to you.  Paul, who wrote this, understood that he was a carrier. You need to understand that you are also a carrier of Jesus. Jesus did not die on the cross just to redeem Paul the apostle. You are saved just like Paul, with the same salvation and the same benefits for it was by the same blood that was shed at Calvary for you and I.




16 And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said: "I will dwell in them And walk among them. I will be their God, And they shall be My people" (2 CORINTHIANS 6:16 ).

While I won't question that what Jesus said is literally true, I think the primary lesson He meant for us to understand is that a mountain is anything standing in our way -- which we would call a problem. Lots of people speak to God about their problems. But not many people speak to their problems and tell them to be gone. It's not wrong to discuss things with God. But that is not all we should do. Jesus spoke to problems and He instructed us to speak to things we want removed from our lives.  You may think it's strange to speak to things. But God created this world and He knows how everything is designed to work. So
when Jesus tells us to speak to our problems, we should realize that He knows how things operate.
The reason it seems strange to us is that we have not known the ways of God. God loves us even when we don't follow His instructions. But we cannot expect good results in our life when we refuse to follow God's instructions.  Whatever problem you face, speak to it and tell it what you want it to do. "Be gone." "I refuse to allow you." "Get out of my life." As a child of God in union with Jesus Christ you have authority over every work of the enemy and everything that would harm you. Because you have been given authority, you have

to use it. You are supposed to choose what you allow in your life. Most of us, out of ignorance, thought our only choice was to just accept whatever happened. We didn't know any better. But now we are learning. So we can make new choices, and see better results.




 And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you (Matthew 17:20).

Selfishness, not hate, is the opposite of divine love. All the problems in the world today are the result of
selfishness. The problems in our governments and with our economies are all the result of selfishness. The problems in our families are the result of selfishness.  The answer is for each of us to desire the best for others, even to the point of sacrificing our own benefit to see others blessed. This describes divine love.
That's how Jesus lived. His aim was to benefit others, not to please Himself. Jesus suffered so we would not have to suffer. This love is a commandment for all Christian believers. But this commandment is given for our good, not to discourage us or condemn us. With the command we are also given the nature and ability to perform the command. All who receive Jesus Christ can walk in the same divine love Jesus did, because they have God's life in them. This is why all people MUST be born again, so they can be set free from sin's bondage by being cured of selfishness.


 "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. (John 13:34).

Forgiveness is a choice not a feeling. Your feelings may not change while you are praying, but you can choose to forgive at any time. It does not take long to make a choice. How long does it take to forgive? How long can you stand and pray? Jesus never said anything about the person deserving forgiveness. Nor did He say to forgive only after they asked for forgiveness.  Anytime you talk to God, Jesus said to forgive if you had anything against anyone. That would include people who hurt you without even realizing they hurt you. Even people who were still trying to hurt you. "Anyone" in this verse includes everyone, no matter what their attitude may be. Why should you forgive them? Not because they deserve it. But because of the harm it will cause you if you don't forgive. The reason you are to forgive others is to maintain your status with God.
Jesus indicates there is something about us refusing to forgive others that hinders our relationship with God and the free flow of blessings God desires for us to receive. I understand that forgiving someone who horribly wronged you is not easy, especially if they are not even sorry for what they did. But Jesus makes it clear that you have no real option. You MUST forgive if you want God's forgiveness. I need not tell you
how vital that is. If Jesus appeared to you right now and asked you face-to-face to forgive someone who hurt you would you do it for Him? We should respect Jesus' Word just as much as we would respond to
Jesus appearing to us face-to-face.

“For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 

 But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses (Matthew 6:14-15).

Our work should not to be  what we exist for, for value is greater than just endeavoring to meet basic needs or dreams of riches, what do you do with the riches when your dieing and your money can't cure and you have no one but your money to keep your company? Your value is more than gold and silver.and if that is all that you truly exist for your work is an avenue God can use to bless other people . Use all that  God has given you: your influence, your contacts, your profits, to bless people and turn them toward God. Many people won't listen to a pastor or TV preacher, but they will listen to someone they know and contact in daily life. You don't have to be a pastor or a priest to walk with God and be used by Him. Think of Abraham, David, Moses, and Daniel. Not one of them was a preacher or a priest. Instead, they were all involved in agriculture or government, what we consider as secular jobs. Yet they are among the most famous and revered of Bible characters. Also we should keep in mind that Jesus of Nazareth spent most of His years on earth as a carpenter  a businessman not a preacher.  You can see God move just as much in the work place as at a church meeting. God is interested in blessing people right where they are. Where you work and spend your time is your "world." God does not expect or ask most people to win some other country for Him. God expects you to be a witness right where you are. Be a witness of God's blessing and goodness and love. You don't have to force your beliefs on people, but let your associates and customers and suppliers and co-workers see God's blessing in your life, and as you have opportunity let them know it is because of God's grace and goodness which is also available for them.




 And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men,
 knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for[a] you serve the Lord Christ (Colossians 3:23-24).

If salvation is based on our performance on what we do then it is not by grace. Our salvation is based on what Jesus Christ did. Our part is simply to receive the gift!  Salvation cannot be a free gift and also be something we must earn. Either we earn it, or it is a gift. It cannot be a mixture of the two.  If you claim to give me a gift, but you ask me for any payment  no matter how small then it is not a gift but something I am buying for a reduced price. Buying something on sale does not make it a gift. If there is any payment involved, by definition, it is not a gift.  Today, just as in Bible times, there are those who teach that
being right with God can only be achieved by keeping their list of rules. But this is not the true teaching of the New Covenant.Those who present a plan of salvation based on your performance are not rightly dividing the Word. Yes, many Scriptures give instruction on what we are to do. But they are instructions for
how to live, not how to be saved and enter the family of God. Will there be rewards and consequences for our actions? Yes! Scripture makes that clear. But our entrance into God's family and our home in Heaven is not based on our performance, but on our faith in what Jesus performed.





 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
 Not of works, lest any man should boast (Ephesians 2:8-9).

A certain woman came to Jesus making a request of Him. Jesus' answer was basically that she was asking for something that did not belong to her, because she did not have a covenant with God. Yet she asked and it was given to her! She didn't just beg. She worshiped Jesus and appealed for mercy. She didn't claim she
deserved the answer but she did ask.  This is one of the secrets of life. Ask! It works with God and
it works in our relationships with people, too.  Pride can prevent us from asking God for help yet he standing right there waiting on you, so what do you got to loose by trust in the God? Pride tells. Humility asks. In marriage many people are unhappy. Yet they don't clearly communicate to their spouse what it is they would like. Don't nag! But respectfully and lovingly ask for what you desire. Make your requests known. People can't read your mind. God knows our thoughts, but still tells us to ask Him for what we need or desire  Many people stumble through life disappointed that God has not given them more. One reason may be because God is waiting for them to have enough faith to ask Him for His help. I don't mean we should act like a beggar. But be bold in asking for what you need or desire.  We may hold back from asking because we think we don't deserve good things. Probably true! But Jesus deserves good and He died so we could receive what He deserves. Jesus took what we deserved so we could have better.


 "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.
 For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened (Matthew 7:7-8).

Fear is the absence of faith. It can be understood as faith in the devil. Fear is the opposite of believing and trusting in God. Fear stops faith from working. You could say that fear is faith in reverse. Fear is the cause of all worry, for worry is meditation on fear. Some may think some fear is healthy, but no true fear is good.
We don't have to fear something to have a healthy respect for it, and thus to act wisely. Fear makes people do irrational things. Reverence for God, sometimes called the "fear of God" is healthy, but it has nothing to do with actually being afraid of God.  When we look at the world situation, it is easy to cry out like the servant of Elisha. But when we are tempted to be afraid, it is only because we are not seeing the reality of the whole picture. God is for us, so no matter what comes against us, it can never prevail over us. We should ask God to open our eyes to the truth. Then keep our focus on God's Word, not on the temptations, lies, and roarings of the devil. Fear is fed by what we look at and listen to. We can resist fear by choosing to always focus on God and His promises.  One way to understand how valuable you are to God is to
consider the great price Would a good parent allow his child who trusted in him to be harmed. God loves you more than any earthly parent ever loved their child -- and God has the power to fully protect you. So you can trust in Him. But when we act in fear, we run from the protection of our wonderful Father God and open the door to our enemy.  We should be free from fear because God is for us and watches out for us. The worst that can happen to us from a worldly perspective is to die, but even then we will go to be with
Jesus. With God on your side, there is really nothing to fear. Yes, there will be struggles. There will be trials. But these are just opportunities to overcome and gain eternal rewards. In all we face in life, God has promised to be with us, and to help us. So what is there to fear?





9Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go" (Joshua 1:9).