Matthew 11:28

"Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest," (Matthew 11:28).  This a promise from Christ himself,for those who come to Him do so because they have been given to Him by the Father. Is this a contradiction? No, because both statements come from Christ. There are many Scriptures which teach that believers have been chosen by God, then drawn to Christ. On the other hand, there are many Scriptures which teach that one may freely accept or reject Christ and is responsible for his own decision. Yet the Scriptures themselves seem unaware that they pose a problem. For example, Peter preached on Pentecost, saying, "Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain." And again, "the kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord . . . to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before |i.e., 'predestinated'| to be done". In these passages,  divine predestination is joined with human decisions without a hint that these concepts conflict with each other. Once again, God's thoughts are higher than our thoughts.

 

Like the two sides of a coin, only one of which can be seen at a time, they are complementary truths, harmonious in the mind of God, but incapable of full comprehension by human minds. We can praise the Lord both for free salvation available to all who desire it and also for the comforting assurance that those who come have been "chosen . . . in him" 

The promise

 When my father and my mother forsake me, then the Lord will take care of me.(Psalms 27:10)


 And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus. God can use any avenue or any means to provide for you, but He is the ultimate provider. The Father in Heaven plan for us like any Father he  desires to see his children prosper and do well. He provides many of us with jobs, yet there are some among us that are not laboring with this present economy  jobs are hard. Yet our Heavenly Father still provides for them also. Christ remembered of the fowl of the air, and how the Father provided for them how much more will our Heavenly Father provide for us, whom are created in his own image?  For there is trial or tribulation given to man that our Father in heaven is not able to guide us through if we but let him !!!!  Brother's I'm speaking to you, its time we learn to humble ourselves when we are going through a storm cry to our Father and submit to his authority. For we are told unless we become like children we can not enter into the kingdom of heaven.  Example in my house "When I speak to Yordon often times I find in a slight degree of trepidation, because he wants to make sure he that does exactly as I instruct him."  How much more should we as children of the living God be trepidated and read to fully trust him and submit to his authority. I know that as boys and even more so as men that we think we are not a man if we do not fix it all on our own. If we were all that why would we need the Messiah to have left glory to come down and suffer for our sakes. Bottom line we can not do it by ourselves we need our Heavenly Father, we the need the body, we need the word of God, we need prayer and to be in prayer not only for ourselves but for the body as well.
Our Father can bless you through the body and relatives, but they are not your source. Even if they fail you or forsake you, God will not, that is our Father's promise to us.  Remember this our Father deserves the glory that is only His for everything good that has ever happened to us. He was behind it. Our Heavenly Father is the source. Was it a mother's love? Our Father put that love in her for us. Was it the love of a spouse? Again our Father created that love. Every good thing in life  comes from the Father, let us give praise to him for He is worthy of the praises of his Children for I'm told that He inhabits the praises of His children.


I just want to thank you Father, for every blessing you pour out upon your children, we didn't have to be here today, it was your love and mercy that allowed us to be here today. I want to thank you for giving me my 5 wonderful children, I didn't deserve them, I want to thank you for letting me live long enough to see just how good you have been to me. I want to thank you for helping my wife get through school to provide her with the nursing position you did. I want to thank you for allowing me to be apart of the homeless ministry and the prayer ministry for the brothers.  I want to thank you for my storms and the brothers like Matthew and Don and Bob, Miles, Terry, Joel, David and many others that you placed there to carry me when I was not able to bare myself up.  I thank you for breaking me. Because till I was broken I did not realize just how much I needed you,   Lord if it be your will that I should live to see 2011 I pray that it will be a year that bring more glory and honor to your name. For it only because of you that we live.

The Word (its the weapon we must use in the daily battle with faith as our shield)

 Now when the tempter came to Him, he said, "If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread."  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 4:3-4)

When tempted, Jesus did not use any supernatural powers to resist the devil. Jesus simply quoted the written Word of God to the devil. You must do the same thing. Jesus was our example, showing us how to overcome the attacks of our enemy. Notice how the devil came to tempt Jesus -- with a thought -- a thought contrary to the written Word of God. When Jesus quoted the Word of God, the devil also quoted the Word of God but twisted the meaning. Jesus responded again with the truth from the Word of God.

 The enemy said, "If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down. For it is written: 'He shall give His angels charge over you,' and, 'In their hands they shall bear you up, Lest you dash your foot against a stone.' "
 Christ replied to him , "It is written again, 'You shall not tempt the LORD your God.' "


If we are going to overcome temptation and walk in victory, we must follow Christ's example and quote the Word of God to the devil. There is no other way. God's Word in our mouth is our spiritual weapon. If we neglect to use it, we will be overcome instead of walking in all the victory and blessing of the Messiah.  Do not be decieved it is not enough to just read the Bible or study it. When the enemy comes to kill and destroy, we must stand upon the Word of the living God,for there is power in his words, but we must believe them as truth. Otherwise the enemy will simply tear you apart and leave you running and crying away naked into the dark.

EphESIANS 2:8-9

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)

Being saved, and in right standing with God, is a gift! It is something we don't deserve, but is freely given to us anyway. We cannot earn it no matter what we do. Deliverance from the curse, and right standing with God, is available only as a free gift. It is not what we have done that matters, but what Jesus did for us. He was our Substitute, suffering what we deserved, so we could receive what He deserved as a gift. God Himself has done what is necessary for us to be saved and be in right standing with Him. Now we must believe in what God has done, and thank Him for it. People all over the world try to be right with God by what they do: rituals, sacrifices, and devotion. But the Bible reveals we cannot be right with God by our own actions -- it is a gift we must receive. So salvation is a free gift. Anyone can receive it.

EPHESIANS 5:25

Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it (Ephesians 5:25)


Love is only expressed through giving. If there is no giving, there is no evidence that love exists. The only proof of love is giving. Giving is the action that demonstrates love. So, the measure of your giving is the measure of your love. The more you give -- of yourself, your time, your attention, your affection, your patience, your treasure -- the more you love. "Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends. Why did Jesus say there was no greater love than to give your life? Because you can't give any more. That's total commitment!
So, whenever you see "love" in a sentence, you may substitute "giving" and express essentially the same meaning.  By understanding that love results in giving, we see that Jesus indicated His disciples would be known for their giving. We are to be famous for our giving! This is the way Jesus indicated people would know His true followers: by their giving. (Not our fighting, our preaching, or even our correct doctrine.) We see in the early days of the church, this is exactly what happened. For love is giving of yourself for another, Christ did that for you and I on that cross he loved us so much that he died in our place.  When you see the homeless or the lost do you have love for them? Christ does, do you want to be the hands and feet? Are you willing to be a mirror for Christ?

Prayer is for us all

God bless you, it is my hope and prayer that this word will find you well and filled with the joy of the Lord. If  not then bring your issues your trials your storms and tribulations to the feet of Christ.  Through prayer is how that is achieved, perhaps you feel you don't have enough time to pray, or that you don't know what to say, or maybe your one who feels why should I pray?  Guess what even Christ prayed to the Father, after all prayer is simply us speaking to our Father. I being a father I know I'm happy when my child speaks to me. Example my eldest daughter Megan is in college this year "I'm very proud" but to my point. She calls normally to only speak to her mother, yesterday she called and talked to me, we talked about her job her classes and her needs.  I listen to every word my daughter had to say with joy in my heart that she would want to talk to me. I was so over joy as our Father is also over joyed when we speak to him.


 So He Himself often withdrew into the wilderness and prayed. (Luke 5:16)

Jesus prayed and He is our example. If  Jesus felt prayer was necessary, how much more so for us?


Jesus obviously impressed His disciples with His prayer life, and the importance of prayer. They asked Him to teach them to pray -- the only thing recorded that they ever asked Jesus to teach them.


 And it came to pass, as He was praying in a certain place, when He ceased, that one of His disciples said to Him, "Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples." (Luke 11:1)

His word is forever

"Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away." (Luke 21:33)

 

The doctrine of plenary verbal inspiration, wrongly considered antiquated by many modern neo-evangelicals, is actually essential to the Christian faith. "All scripture |that is every word written down or inscribed| is given by inspiration |literally 'breathed in'| of God," not man! 

 

We acknowledge, of course, that problems of transmission and translation exist, but these are relatively trivial in the entire context. We also acknowledge that the process of inspiration may have varied, but the end result is as if the entire Bible had been dictated and transcribed word by word.

 

This is the way Jesus Christ--the Creator, the Living Word, the Author of Scripture--viewed the Scriptures. "The scripture cannot be broken," He said. "Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled". "Then he said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken: . . . And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself". The Bible therefore, every word of it, is divinely inspired, verbally without error, infallibly true, and of absolute authority in every area of our lives. The words of Christ who taught  these truths are forever "settled in heaven" and "shall not pass away."

 

It is mortally dangerous, therefore, "unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book" to "add unto these things" as the cultists do, or to "take away from the words of the book of this prophecy" as the liberals do. Would it not be much better to say with the psalmist, "Thy testimonies also are my delight and my counsellors"

Which Jesus do you serve

Yes its back again, because I feel this message is one worth repeating and repeating till we all can say we know the answer truly and our lives reflect it.

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????

So what your answer!!!!

    

Sin is introduced through one man's failure

"By the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life." (Romans 5:18)

 

When Adam rebelled against God, he experienced many new things--things which have haunted mankind ever since. All of these things were experienced by Christ in an intense way as He redeemed fallen mankind and the cursed creation.

 

Adam had never seen or experienced death until he sinned. God had ordained nakedness, but sin distorts everything. Before sin, Adam and Eve had known only blessing, but the universal curse followed. They had known joy and fellowship, but now they knew sorrow and separation. They had lived in a garden, but now the plants would bring forth thorns. Prior to sin they had been assigned work to do, but now they would sweat as they toiled. The angel's weapon kept them from returning to the Garden  and outside violence reigned. Childbearing originally was created to be easy and frequent, but now was to be accompanied by sorrow.

 

Likewise, Christ experienced death on the cross, but by His resurrection He conquered death. In this death He experienced nakedness; the full thrust of the curse; sorrow; and separation from God. Cruel thorns were placed on His head, and He sweat great drops of blood. The soldier's weapon pierced Him, finally ending a series of violent acts. But through His suffering He overcame the curse and redeemed His fallen creation. As a result, many children have been brought forth, children reborn into a glorious state through His suffering.

Be Watchful

"And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed." (Romans 13:11)

The apostle Paul wrote these words over 1,900 years ago, and yet Christ still has not returned. The early Christians were looking for Christ's return in their own day, and so have many believers in every generation since, yet we still wait.

This attitude of age-long watchful expectancy is both scriptural and salutary, for Jesus said: "Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh" . In fact it is impossible to correctly predict the date of His coming, for He clearly said: "In such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh".

In his first epistle, Paul reminded the believers how they had "turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God; And to wait for his Son from heaven". Years later he exhorted Timothy to "love his appearing" . He had written Titus that each Christian should be "looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ" . To the Corinthians he said: "We shall not all sleep,  but we shall all be changed" when Christ returns, indicating he thought it possible that he himself might witness Christ's return. "We which are alive and remain shall be caught up . . . to meet the Lord in the air," he had also said

There are many other such references, so it is clear that the early Christians were indeed watching for Christ, as He had commanded. We must not set dates, and we must "occupy till |He| come|s|" , but we also must continue to watch, "for yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry".