"By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh." (Hebrews 11:4)   Abel, Adam's second son, was a faithful, God-honoring man, but he was murdered by his older brother Cain. From Genesis 4 we know that Cain's bloodless sacrifice was not accepted by God, while Abel's animal sacrifice was accepted. Cain's pride, anger, and rejection of God's offer of restoration resulted in the murder of obedient Abel. Our text tells us that Abel "being dead yet speaketh." What does he say? To whom does he speak?   First of all, he spoke to God. "The voice of thy brother's |Abel's| blood crieth unto me from the ground". Many have followed Abel in martyrdom, and they all cry, "How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?"   Secondly, he spoke to Cain. "And now art thou cursed from the earth, which hath opened her mouth to receive thy brother's blood from thy hand". Cain was banished by God: "a fugitive and a vagabond shalt thou be in the earth" (v. 12), and every spot of ground on which he placed his foot from then on would be crying out to him, indicting him of

 Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old
he will not depart from it.(Proverbs 22:6)

God's plan is that children be a great blessing in a family.
Sadly, in many homes, the children are holy terrors,
exasperating and exhausting their parents. In every case, it is
the fault of the parent(s).

All young children act exactly as they have been trained by
their parents (or other care givers). As they get older
children have additional influences that may affect their
behavior, such as peers, television, teachers, etc.

Children are smart and train easily. They are much smarter than
a cow or a horse or a dog, who all can be successfully trained
to behave.

Every parent, without exception, trains their children. A few
train them properly -- in the way they should go. But all
parents train.

If you have young children now in your home, they are acting
exactly as you have trained them to act by your past actions.

If you allow your children to disrespect or disobey you, that
is your choice. Don't blame your children. They are just doing
what they have been trained to do.

Most parents tell their children to do right, but few seem to
consistently train their children to actually do right.
Training is much more than teaching, for it requires that the
desired action be done over and over, until acting right
becomes a habit.

Don't be deceived into thinking that letting children have
their own way will promote peace -- yours or theirs. No peace
will be found in a home where the instruction of the Lord is
not followed.

                                                  The Beatitudes
Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.
Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.
Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.
Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.
Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil ° against you falsely, for my sake.
Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you (Matthew 5:3-12).


This a good illustration of each of the "blessing" that God  designed to meet a need or fulfill a desire of God's "chosen" . The poor, meek, and persecuted are given ownership in the kingdom. The mournful are given God's special comfort. Those who hunger for righteousness are filled. The merciful will obtain mercy, the pure in heart will see God, and the peacemakers are identified as God's children. The longings of our souls and characters are all met by God.

"The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together." (Romans 8:16-17)

Modern-day humanists and unbelievers take great sport in belittling Christians, but despite their estimate, and even despite whatever humble view Christians may entertain of themselves, the fact remains that the Bible clearly declares believers to possess a position of preeminent standing and blessing.

Consider the wondrous fact that we as believers are "children of God." "As many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name" this was the promise"For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus".We are His offspring, for "according to his abundant  grace and mercy. This standing and privilege is ours, but we must not forget it is ours as a result of His doing, not our own worth, lest we become prideful..  

So when even was come, the lord of the vineyard saith unto his steward, Call the labourers, and give them their hire, beginning from the last unto the first." (Matthew 20:8)

This parable has long caused perplexity, not only among the workers in the parable, but also among readers ever since. Why would the Lord teach that wages paid for a given type of work should be the same for one hour’s work as for twelve? His only explanation was that it was the owner’s right to do what he wanted with his own money, and that "the last shall be first, and the first last".

He also pointed out to the complaining workmen that he had completely fulfilled his contract with them. Early in the morning, this group of laborers had negotiated their own terms with him, and "he had agreed with the labourers for a penny a day". Those he hired later in the day had said nothing at all about pay, being glad merely to work and willing to trust the lord of the vineyard to treat them fairly. This most probably means that the owner had first approached the early morning workers on the same basis, but they were unwilling to work without a contract, negotiated on their own terms.

This is the difference. The first group insisted on a firm contract, and the owner therefore insisted on honoring it. The others worked by faith, trusting in the lord of the vineyard, knowing him to be a man of integrity and justice. Furthermore, they would have been willing to work all day long on this same basis, but they had no opportunity. They needed the job, and the owner, knowing their needs and their willing hearts, decided to pay them on the basis of what they would have done, had they had the opportunity.

In any case, the parable surely teaches us that our heavenly rewards are not based on quantity of services rendered, but on quality,

And the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus(1 Timothy 1:14).


Paul confessed that only through the saving grace of Jesus did he receive eternal life. Because Paul was aware of the depth of his sinfulness (he had been a persecutor of Christ's followers), he was especially sensitive to the abundant grace Jesus had "poured out" on his behalf . Through Jesus, God made the supreme sacrifice to deliver this staggering grace to sinners like us and Paul.

Jesus' voluntary sacrifice on our behalf demonstrates a key attribute of God: grace. While mercy refers to what God doesn't give that we do deserve (punishment), grace refers to what God gives that we don't deserve life with him for eternity. Throughout Jewish history, God showed his mercy by giving his people more chances to avoid judgment. Ultimately, he showed the extent of his grace by offering his own Son as a substitute for the sin of all humankind.

Jesus graciously and voluntarily became the substitute that paid the punishment for humankind's unholy rebellion against God. In this way, Jesus' death also shows another key attribute of God: his love for his creation. He gave his only begotten son for you and I. Next time you wake up know it was God's grace and mercy that woke you up not an alarm or your spouse, so take a moment and go down on bent knees but if you can't bend then pray just where you are, simply give him thanks for redeeming sinners like us.

"Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life" (John 5:24).

It is most important, first of all, for  the unsaved men/ women to respond to the gospel message, by believing in Christ Jesus as the son of God and confessing his/her sins. Christ was clear there is no other way to heaven except by Him.  I hear and speak with a lot of people during  the week. Please don't tell my wife because I supposing to be focus totally on college :) Just kidding she knows don't you hon???  Okay to be serious again if I must. I hear people say all path must lead to God. If that were the case  why would the son of God have to come down from His throne and become  a man?  There is no other way, either you believe in Christ Jesus to be exactly who he said he was or you do not. No Buddhism, nor New Age, or Islam or Confucius, or Taoism will get you to heaven. Your works will not get you in, for the word of God tells me that my very best is as filthy rages before the Lord. Let no man be deceived Christ Jesus is the son God and he is the way and the life. Without him you are a dead man/woman walking , I believe every man and woman must have their own Damascus moment, where they come face to face with Jesus and realize that we are nothing without and be willing to accept the truth and turn from their sins and accept the forgiveness Christ offers to each of us.

Father God, I pray that we as your child will not be a walking billboard for you, but the words that we would speak not only to the unsaved but the saved as will spring up living waters for them to drink from. Lord God grant each of us a pure heart and the mind of Christ that we would be about your business while it is light. Let us rejoice in the blessing that we have and not worry about those things we do not have but  rejoice in the fact that we are redeemed by the blood of the lamb. Bless my brothers and sisters  that they will be filled with your peace the peace that the world can not understand.

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. 

Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God." (Ephesians 2:19)

 

Prior to salvation, we are enemies to the Father and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world: But now" we are part of the "new man" and the grand partnership that has been made possible between Jew and Gentile, Old and New Covenant saints, and the operative impact and purpose of the "household of God". Therefore, we are "fellow citizens with the saints and of the household of God built upon the foundation of  Jesus Chris our lord and Savior and he used the apostles and prophets to construct the first church but upon whom is the corner stone is the faith built.


I'm so glade about the fact that Jesus paid the price for me, I'm glade about the fact he calls me friend now. He calls you and I children of the Living God, let us rejoice in that fact and start acting like the children of the king.  One day I'm going home to be with my Father as each of you are also so let us rejoice for this is not our home. We are in a strange land endeavoring to get back home to our Father's house.  


Dear Father, grant me the wisdom to daily what you desire of me and daily to confess my short comings to you and draw near to you daily that I might be less of me and more of you.

Are you a Imitator of Christ

Yes it here again, I will be re-posting this message till we all get it!!!!   So this message is not your feel good message but a call to action for each of my pew setting brothers and sisters in Christ.The hour is at hand, Christ is coming back so its time you stop playing around and take a stand for Christ. Attending a Church does not save you, acknowledge Christ and lord and savior of your life and that you and I need his forgiveness and his grace and mercy each and everyday of our lives.  Well at least I know that I do for I'm faltered from birth. There is nothing good in me except for Christ, without him I can do nothing through him I'm able to do all things.

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 Christ 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 fame?

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 our 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 ? 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?

Can we all be imitators of Christ? Can we all live like our Savior?   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????