Spring is coming!

Here in the heartland spring is around the corner, farmers and gardeners are thinking about what to plant, where to start and how much seed they will need. Although they won’t see results for months they are preparing now so when it comes time to harvest, they will receive the rewards of their labors.

A farmer or gardner does not plant seed and then ignore it until harvest time, a farmer/gardener weeds, a farmer/gardener waters, a farmer/gardener tends too their fields and protects it from predators, who want to steal the seed or the fruit of the seed.

A farmer does this on a large scale, a gardener does this on a smaller scale, but both understand the principle of working the land, planting the seed and harvesting.

why we would be any different?

As the Church, that is the body of Christ: us as individuals so there is no misunderstanding, we are too work the soil, plant the seed ,we are too water, we are too tend too the fields watch over and protect from varmints what God gave us.

And like the farmer/ gardener we are to have faith that God will take care of the seed we sow in His name, the results are up to the Lord of the Harvest, and He will take care of the results.

The Church has to have faith like this, sometimes I wonder if we do. We get discouraged when we don’t see direct results, but I can tell you from my life many poured into me and planted and watered, but God took His time to harvest what was planted, in my case it was 33 years.

Others have planted, watered and prayed for 40, 50 or more years to see someone come to the Lord.

Never give up on what God is doing, we do not toil in vain, if you are planting gospel seeds, cover them in prayer and trust God to grow them, remember a seed must die to bear fruit, and a lot of seed is in un-fertile ground that must be worked, but rest assured God is at work, trust Him, don’t get discouraged you might not see the harvest, but God will harvest what is sown in His name,keep doing what God has asked you to do and He will take care of the rest.

God’s word says this;

“The sower sows the word. Some are like the word sown on the path. When they hear, immediately Satan comes and takes away the word sown in them. And others are like seed sown on rocky ground. When they hear the word, immediately they receive it with joy. But they have no root; they are short-lived. When distress or persecution comes because of the word, they immediately fall away. Others are like seed sown among thorns; these are the ones who hear the word, but the worries of this age, the deceitfulness of wealth, and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. And those like seed sown on good ground hear the word, welcome it, and produce fruit thirty, sixty, and a hundred times what was sown.”....”The kingdom of God is like this,” he said. “A man scatters seed on the ground. He sleeps and rises night and day; the seed sprouts and grows, although he doesn’t know how. The soil produces a crop by itself — first the blade, then the head, and then the full grain on the head. As soon as the crop is ready, he sends for the sickle, because the harvest has come.” And he said, “With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable can we use to describe it? It’s like a mustard seed that, when sown upon the soil, is the smallest of all the seeds on the ground. And when sown, it comes up and grows taller than all the garden plants, and produces large branches, so that the birds of the sky can nest in its shade.” Mark 4:14-20, 26-32 CSB

“What then is Apollos? What is Paul? They are servants through whom you believed, and each has the role the Lord has given. I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So then neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. Now he who plants and he who waters are one, and each will receive his own reward according to his own labor. For we are God’s coworkers. You are God’s field, God’s building.”

1 Corinthians 3:5-9 CSB

“Therefore, brothers and sisters, be patient until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth and is patient with it until it receives the early and the late rains. You also must be patient. Strengthen your hearts, because the Lord’s coming is near.”James 5:7-8 CSB

New year resolutions

As the year closes out many are preparing for a better new year, looking forward too a better tomorrow making resolutions and hoping to see a brighter future than the days they just came through.

Some of us will make resolutions to loose weight, be financially free, get in better shape, finish our education, the list is endless on the things people resolve too do year after year. While it is grand to have goals and to work at them our goals should not be just about us.

I would challenge each of us too make a resolution that we are unable too do on our own, that without God’s help we will definitely fail.

The 1st part of that resolution would be this.

Love the LORD your GOD with all your heart, your soul and your mind. And love your neighbor as yourself.

This  will take God’s help for us too seek Him and lay aside our agenda daily.

To love God this way means we need to seek Him in prayer, in His word, in fellowship, in how we work, rest, and play, in our relationship with others, how we serve Him, how we live our lives moment by moment, responding to whatever comes our way in faith, living in His truths and walking in His ways, doing all things to bring glory to His name.

And then to love our neighbors as ourselves, this means that if someone has a need and your able to help them you should, starting with caring for their soul. 

If you’re up for the challenge to lay aside selfish ambitions and pray to God to renew your soul and let Him do great works in you and through you this year will be the grandest year of your life.

Be the light that shines through the darkness this new year, be the beacon of hope people need to see. In an age where everyone is doing what is right in their own eyes, let them see God’s grace, hope,peace and love in us.

““You are the light of the world. A city situated on a hill cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and puts it under a basket, but rather on a lampstand, and it gives light for all who are in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.”

Matthew 5:14-16 CSB

“He said to him, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and most important command. The second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets depend on these two commands.”

Matthew 22:37-40 CSB

“He has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began.”

2 Timothy 1:9 CSB

Prayer: What we must do!

When we come to God in prayer there are conditions that God has put on our prayers, yet we seem to come to God in our prayer lives on our terms, and then wonder why God does not answer us. To receive an answer to prayer as the Bible uses the term, 2 elements must take place.

" (1) We must pray in the will of God and (2) we must be on what old-fashioned Christians often call "praying ground"; that is, we must be living lives pleasing to God. It is futile to beg God to act contrary to His revealed purposes." ( A.W.Tozer)

 We seem to forget what the Bible says when we pray, we must align our will with the will of God, not the other way around which is what we usually do, and second we can in no way live our lives on our terms and then seek favor with God, living in a sinful lifestyle and defying God and His ways is an act of rebellion which the Bible calls witchcraft.

1 Samuel 15:23 For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, And stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, He also has rejected you from being king."

God has not placed Himself under obligation to honor the requests of worldly, carnal or disobedient Christians. He hears and answers the prayers only of those who walk in His way. "Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God. And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight . . . . If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you" (I John 3:21, 22; John 15:7).

God wants us to pray and He wants to answer our prayers, but we as His children must come before Him with clean hands and hearts and a willingness to submit to His authority.

There are consequences for disobedient and rebellion.

The Buck stops with you!

Children very seldom take responsibility for something they have done wrong, and while sometimes their response can be cute or funny this action spills over into society as they get older. The difference between a child and a mature person is their willingness to take personal responsibility for their actions.

1 Corinthians 13:11 When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways.

God's word teaches us the concept of personal responsibility: Ezekiel 18:20“The one who sins is the one who will die. The child will not share the guilt of the parent, nor will the parent share the guilt of the child. The righteousness of the righteous will be credited to them, and the wickedness of the wicked will be charged against them”

Personal responsibility is tied to the law of you reap what you sow.

Galatians 6:7-9 Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.

Isaiah 3:10-11 “Tell the righteous it will be well with them, for they will enjoy the fruit of their deeds. Woe to the wicked! Disaster is upon them! They will be paid back for what their hands have done”

God clearly defined right and wrong, and His people are expected to do what is right. This has been the case ever since the beginning in the Garden of Eden, when Adam was given a specific command and expected to obey it.

God held Adam and Eve accountable, expelled them from the garden and they eventually tasted physical death because of this. Genesis 3.

God expects us to take personal responsibility in every area of our lives.

 Able-bodied people should work for their food.2 Thessalonians 3:10“The one who is unwilling to work shall not eat”

 Men are to take responsibility for providing for their households . 1 Timothy 5:7-8 Command these things as well, so that they may be without reproach. But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.

Today's society in America people do all they can to avoid personal responsibility through blame-shifting. From the small town America to the nations capital, personal responsibility is avoided like the plague in our nation of political correctness.

God sees and knows what our hearts attitude is, when mankind chooses to deceive and shift blame, God knows.

From the beginning Adam tried to blame Eve for his sin , then God, Eve blamed the Serpent (Genesis 3). Cain tried to dodge responsibility (Genesis 4:9). Pilate attempted to absolve his guilt in the matter of the crucifixion of Christ: “‘I am innocent of this man’s blood,’ he said. ‘It is your responsibility!’” (Matthew 27:24).

Every attempt to pass the buck is foolish. Numbers 32:23“....You may be sure that your sin will find you out” .

Every person has to take personal responsibility to repent and believe in Jesus, and when you don't God says your still responsible.

John 3:16-19 “For God so loved  the world,  that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not  perish but have eternal life.  For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.  Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.  And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil.

Salvation is found in Christ, alone. Judgment is held for those who reject Christ, rewards are given to those who have accepted Christ.

Harry Truman had a sign on his desk as President that simply said " the buck stops here"

Every person will stand before God one day and give account on their words and deeds, I wonder what will your response be?

2 Corinthians 5:10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.

God's response is already recorded.

Matthew 25:31-46

“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him,   then he will sit on his glorious throne.  Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.  And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left.  Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.  For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me,  I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’  Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’  And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’    “Then he will say to those on his left,   ‘Depart from me, you   cursed, into   the eternal fire prepared for   the devil and his angels.  For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink,  I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’  Then they also will answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?’  Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’  And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

There will be a day!

When the day comes and it will come make no mistake, that our government issues a law that says you may not worship or pledge allegiance  to any one except them what do you believe you will do? Will you bow before them and do as they say or will you worship God,(Yahweh) only as Daniel did?

How many already who claim to be christians do this daily now and bow to the gods of this world?

Daniel 6:1-10 HCSB

Darius decided  to appoint 120 satraps over the kingdom, stationed throughout the realm, and over them three administrators, including Daniel.  These satraps would be accountable to them so that the king would not be defrauded.   Daniel  distinguished himself above the administrators and satraps because he had an extraordinary spirit,  so the king planned to set him over the whole realm.   The administrators and satraps, therefore, kept trying to find a charge against Daniel  regarding the kingdom. But they could find no charge or corruption,  for he was trustworthy, and no negligence or corruption was found in him. Then these men said, “We will never find any charge against this Daniel unless we find something against him concerning the law of his God.” So the administrators and satraps went together to the king and said to him, “May King Darius live forever.   All the administrators of the kingdom,  the prefects, satraps, advisers, and governors have agreed that the king should establish an ordinance and enforce an edict that for 30 days, anyone who petitions any god or man except you, the king, will be thrown into the lions’ den.   Therefore, Your Majesty, establish the edict  and sign the document so that, as a law of the Medes and Persians, it is irrevocable and cannot be changed.”   So King Darius signed the document. When Daniel learned that the document had been signed, he went into his house. The windows in its upper room opened toward Jerusalem,  and three times a day he got down on his knees, prayed, and gave thanks to his God,  just as he had done before.

Revelation 13:4-10 HCSB

They worshiped the dragon  because he gave authority to the beast. And they worshiped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast?  Who is able to wage war against him? ” A mouth was given to him to speak boasts and blasphemies.  He was also given authority to act   for 42 months.   He began to speak  blasphemies against God: to blaspheme His name and His dwelling — those who dwell in heaven. And he was permitted to wage war against the saints and to conquer them.  He was also given authority  over every tribe, people, language, and nation.   All those who live on the earth will worship him, everyone whose name was not written from the foundation of the world in the book  of life  of the Lamb who was slaughtered.   If anyone has an ear, he should listen: If anyone is destined for captivity, into captivity he goes. If anyone is to be killed  with a sword, with a sword he will be killed. This demands the perseverance  and faith of the saints.

Living wisely in foolish times

There is no justice in our nation, the ungodly rule over us, wickedness and evil are everywhere and everyone is doing what seems right to them, as long as it benefits them.

But our hope is not in a worldly man, woman or system , it is and always should be in Christ. It is hard not to complain and feel nauseous when you hear the news day after day and hear political lies one after another, turn off the news, pick up your bibles, fall on your knees and pray. Stay ready to defend your family and yourself, God has not called you to be a pacifist, He says when possible live in peace.

Trust Him if He is giving you the ability to provide and protect, do so. Live wisely.

Psalms 37:1-20, 23-24, 27-34, 39-40 HCSB

Do not be agitated by evildoers; do not envy those who do wrong. For they wither quickly like grass and wilt like tender green plants. Trust in the Lord and do what is good; dwell in the land and live securely. Take delight in the Lord , and He will give you your heart’s desires.

Commit your way to the Lord ; trust in Him, and He will act, making your righteousness shine like the dawn, your justice like the noonday. Be silent before the Lord and wait expectantly for Him; do not be agitated by one who prospers in his way, by the man who carries out evil plans. Refrain from anger and give up your rage; do not be agitated — it can only bring harm.

For evildoers will be destroyed, but those who put their hope in the Lord will inherit the land. A little while, and the wicked person will be no more; though you look for him, he will not be there. But the humble will inherit the land and will enjoy abundant prosperity. The wicked person schemes against the righteous and gnashes his teeth at him.

The Lord laughs at him because He sees that his day is coming. The wicked have drawn the sword and strung the bow to bring down the afflicted and needy and to slaughter those whose way is upright. Their swords will enter their own hearts, and their bows will be broken. The little that the righteous man has is better than the abundance of many wicked people. For the arms of the wicked will be broken, but the Lord supports the righteous. The Lord watches over the blameless all their days, and their inheritance will last forever. They will not be disgraced in times of adversity; they will be satisfied in days of hunger. But the wicked will perish; the Lord ’s enemies, like the glory of the pastures, will fade away — they will fade away like smoke.

A man’s steps are established by the Lord , and He takes pleasure in his way. Though he falls, he will not be overwhelmed, because the Lord holds his hand. Turn away from evil and do what is good, and dwell there forever. For the Lord loves justice and will not abandon His faithful ones. They are kept safe forever, but the children of the wicked will be destroyed. The righteous will inherit the land and dwell in it permanently. The mouth of the righteous utters wisdom; his tongue speaks what is just. The instruction of his God is in his heart; his steps do not falter. The wicked one lies in wait for the righteous and seeks to kill him; the Lord will not leave him in the power of the wicked one or allow him to be condemned when he is judged. Wait for the Lord and keep His way, and He will exalt you to inherit the land. You will watch when the wicked are destroyed. The salvation of the righteous is from the Lord , their refuge in a time of distress. The Lord helps and delivers them; He will deliver them from the wicked and will save them because they take refuge in Him.

Do not be decieved

In our America deception has become the norm, very few seek the truth. We feel by denying the truth we are somehow not going to be held accountable for knowing it. 

Those who call themselves Christians are by far living by this standard, it comes down to spiritual pride. The same thing that Judah and Israel suffered from believing God would not punish them like the world for they are His chosen people.

Be not deceived God is not mocked whatever a man sows he shall reap.
Is what God says.

The hardest to reach sometimes is those who are spiritual prideful who go to church and think they are good. But like Israel and Judah God knows our hearts. He is giving warnings to the church first in America, before judgment.

Jeremiah 9:1-6 HCSB

If my head were a spring of water, my eyes a fountain of tears, I would weep day and night over the slain of my dear people. If only I had a traveler’s lodging place in the wilderness, I would abandon my people and depart from them, for they are all adulterers, a solemn assembly of treacherous people. They bent their tongues like their bows; lies and not faithfulness prevail in the land, for they proceed from one evil to another, and they do not take Me into account. This is the Lord ’s declaration. Everyone has to be on guard against his friend. Don’t trust any brother, for every brother will certainly deceive, and every friend spread slander. Each one betrays his friend; no one tells the truth. They have taught their tongues to speak lies; they wear themselves out doing wrong. You live in a world of deception. In their deception they refuse to know Me. This is the Lord ’s declaration.

Hope!

What does the word "hope" mean in the Bible? It doesn't mean "maybe." We may use it that way in modern English, but that's not whatever the word "hope" means when used in Scripture.

"Hope" means certainty, but not just any certainty. When the Bible says "hope," it means a rock-solid assurance with anticipation, based on the Word of God.

Put your hope and faith in Jesus Christ today if you have not and if you have. Take heart and have peace that all is well with Christ in command.


Romans 12:12-21 HCSB

Rejoice in hope; be patient in affliction; be persistent in prayer. Share with the saints in their needs; pursue hospitality. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice; weep with those who weep. Be in agreement with one another. Do not be proud; instead, associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own estimation. Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Try to do what is honorable in everyone’s eyes. If possible, on your part, live at peace with everyone. Friends, do not avenge yourselves; instead, leave room for His wrath. For it is written: Vengeance belongs to Me; I will repay, says the Lord. But If your enemy is hungry, feed him. If he is thirsty, give him something to drink. For in so doing you will be heaping fiery coals on his head. Do not be conquered by evil, but conquer evil with good.

Engage the Culture

We live in a culture that is reluctant to get involved. We leave well enough alone. We steer clear of messy, complicated interaction with others. We mind our own business, and keep to ourselves--even those of us who go by the name of Christian. We're like the fellow on the bus who refused to tell another passenger what time it was. After being asked several times, he turned his back, and the young man went on and asked someone else. At the next stop, someone who had seen the exchange scolded the man, and this was his rationale: "If I had told that young man what time it was, we would have struck up a conversation, and I probably would have liked him.


 Before long, he would have gotten himself invited to supper, and my beautiful daughter would have met him. The two of them would probably fall in love, and want to get married - but I don't want my daughter marrying a man who can't afford a watch!" We intuitively know that involvement could prove expensive - so we shut ourselves off in the name of caution.


 The only problem is, we are commanded to love the brethren. In fact, the mark of a Christian is the love we have for one another. It is almost impossible for someone who has experienced the love and grace of God to live in isolation - but some of us do a pretty good job. Instead of hiding, get out of your comfort zone and reach out to those in your circle of influence with the love of Christ. It is dangerous, yes. But the only place outside of heaven where we can be safe from all the dangers of love is hell.




Hebrews 13:

1Let brotherly love continue. 2Don’t neglect to show hospitality, for by doing this some have welcomed angels as guests without knowing it. 3Remember the prisoners, as though you were in prison with them, and the mistreated, as though you yourselves were suffering bodily. 4Marriage must be respected by all, and the marriage bed kept undefiled, because God will judge immoral people and adulterers.  5Your life should be free from the love of money. Be satisfied with what you have, for He Himself has said, I will never leave you or forsake you.  6Therefore, we may boldly say:

The Lord is my helper;

I will not be afraid.

What can man do to me?

A Story to tell

As we live our lives we should be mindful of how we have been given a life to live. We who are saved were once dead men and women, but now live because of Jesus Christ. We all were dead at one time, and it is the miraculous love and grace of God our Father, through His only begotten Son Jesus Christ that we now live.

When you read through the scriptures you see that we are born nto a sin nature, a nature of death ,

Romans 5:12-14 [12] Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned-- [13] (For until the law sin was in the world, but sin is not imputed when there is no law. [14] Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those who had not sinned according to the likeness of the transgression of Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come.

We were born to die because of this, and die we do daily our bodies and minds are dying because of the sin of mankind from the beginning , our bodies suffer the consequences of this sin.

That is not the end of the story though, because God had a plan, a story to be written that included you and me, our story that is each of us who call Him Father.

Romans 5:1-21 [1] Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, [2] through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. [3] And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; [4] and perseverance, character; and character, hope. [5] Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us. [6] For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. [7] For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. [8] But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. [9] Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. [10] For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. [11] And not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation. [12] Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned-- [13] (For until the law sin was in the world, but sin is not imputed when there is no law. [14] Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those who had not sinned according to the likeness of the transgression of Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come. [15] But the free gift is not like the offense. For if by the one man's offense many died, much more the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abounded to many. [16] And the gift is not like that which came through the one who sinned. For the judgment which came from one offense resulted in condemnation, but the free gift which came from many offenses resulted in justification. [17] For if by the one man's offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.) [18] Therefore, as through one man's offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man's righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life. [19] For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man's obedience many will be made righteous. [20] Moreover the law entered that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more, [21] so that as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

God our Father loved us so much that He could not us live this life alone without Him, because He knew we would surely die in our sins, so He extended His hands of grace and reached down into the grave and as He called out our names, individually and said come forth He set us free from the bondage of sin and death, we see the perfect picture of this in the Gospel of John, it is a picture of the Victory Christ had over death, before He went to the Cross to suffer our punishment. When you read this put your name in the place of Lazarus.

John 11:1-45 [1] Now a certain man was sick, Lazarus of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha. [2] It was that Mary who anointed the Lord with fragrant oil and wiped His feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick. [3] Therefore the sisters sent to Him, saying, "Lord, behold, he whom You love is sick." [4] When Jesus heard that, He said, "This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it." [5] Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. [6] So, when He heard that he was sick, He stayed two more days in the place where He was. [7] Then after this He said to the disciples, "Let us go to Judea again." [8] The disciples said to Him, "Rabbi, lately the Jews sought to stone You, and are You going there again?" [9] Jesus answered, "Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. [10] "But if one walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him." [11] These things He said, and after that He said to them, "Our friend Lazarus sleeps, but I go that I may wake him up." [12] Then His disciples said, "Lord, if he sleeps he will get well." [13] However, Jesus spoke of his death, but they thought that He was speaking about taking rest in sleep. [14] Then Jesus said to them plainly, "Lazarus is dead. [15] "And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, that you may believe. Nevertheless let us go to him." [16] Then Thomas, who is called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, "Let us also go, that we may die with Him." [17] So when Jesus came, He found that he had already been in the tomb four days. [18] Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles away. [19] And many of the Jews had joined the women around Martha and Mary, to comfort them concerning their brother. [20] Then Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met Him, but Mary was sitting in the house. [21] Now Martha said to Jesus, "Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died. [22] "But even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give You." [23] Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise again." [24] Martha said to Him, "I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day." [25] Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. [26] "And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?" [27] She said to Him, "Yes, Lord, I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, who is to come into the world." [28] And when she had said these things, she went her way and secretly called Mary her sister, saying, "The Teacher has come and is calling for you." [29] As soon as she heard that, she arose quickly and came to Him. [30] Now Jesus had not yet come into the town, but was in the place where Martha met Him. [31] Then the Jews who were with her in the house, and comforting her, when they saw that Mary rose up quickly and went out, followed her, saying, "She is going to the tomb to weep there." [32] Then, when Mary came where Jesus was, and saw Him, she fell down at His feet, saying to Him, "Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died." [33] Therefore, when Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her weeping, He groaned in the spirit and was troubled. [34] And He said, "Where have you laid him?" They said to Him, "Lord, come and see." [35] Jesus wept. [36] Then the Jews said, "See how He loved him!" [37] And some of them said, "Could not this Man, who opened the eyes of the blind, also have kept this man from dying?" [38] Then Jesus, again groaning in Himself, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay against it. [39] Jesus said, "Take away the stone." Martha, the sister of him who was dead, said to Him, "Lord, by this time there is a stench, for he has been dead four days." [40] Jesus said to her, "Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?" [41] Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead man was lying. And Jesus lifted up His eyes and said, "Father, I thank You that You have heard Me. [42] "And I know that You always hear Me, but because of the people who are standing by I said this, that they may believe that You sent Me." [43] Now when He had said these things, He cried with a loud voice, "Lazarus, come forth!" [44] And he who had died came out bound hand and foot with graveclothes, and his face was wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, "Loose him, and let him go." [45] Then many of the Jews who had come to Mary, and had seen the things Jesus did, believed in Him.

That is a picture of who we are, how we are dying but do not have to die, our bodies may die but our souls will live and we will be resurrected in the end to reign with Christ, that is the hope of Glory, Christ in me and you.

Today I implore you if your wrapped in your grave clothes, listen to the voice of Jesus Christ calling out your name, hear Him as He calls you to come forth, be free from the bondage of Sin and Death, live the life your called to live, for Him, through Him, in Him.

And if your already free from the bondage of Sin and Death, start spreading the gospel message, do you think that Lazarus had a story to tell, do you think that people came to Christ because of what Jesus did for him?

His story is your story, you where dead on your way to hell, and Jesus came to your grave and called your name, and said come forth. You have the ability to share that with all those around you today, you were once dead but now you live, that is a story worth telling, and today there are literally billions of people who need to hear this truth. You do not need to be a Pastor or Theologian to share the gospel, just share your story someone somewhere needs to know you live because Christ lives in you.

The roman road to salvation is a collection of verses from the book of Romans explaining Gods free gift of eternal life. Follow these verses to learn why we need salvation, Gods plan of salvation, how to receive salvation, Gods promise of eternal life, and the results of salvation.


God is the creator of life Romans 1:20-21
Why we need salvation- the fact of our sin Romans 3:23
Mans inability Romans 3:10
The penalty of sin Romans 6:23a
Gods plan of salvation Romans 5:8
Gods promise of eternal life Romans 6:23
Mans responsibility Romans 10:9-10, 10:13
Final stop on the roman road to salvation...results of salvation Romans 8:1, 5:1

Colossians 3:17 [17] And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.

In Christ
brian

Be the Man God called you to be!

We have allot to be thankful for, every day we wake up, we are blessed and in the hands of Almighty God. We have been chosen to be on this earth, for such a time as this. And as husbands, fathers, grandfathers, boyfriends, and brothers we have been surrounded by people that God has given us, and we should look at them as gifts from God. And God has given us a unique opportunity to come together and serve Him, in a church family that wants us to all grow, and be the men God has called us to be.

We should pray for our Brothers in Christ. We need to lift each other up, give permission to one another and hold each other accountable. We should know that we can count on each another, be there for each other and encourage each other knowing that none of us walk alone.

We have a huge responsibility, to teach our families about the Lord, we are slowly losing future generations, by not being the men that God has called us to be, we need to start now, lead our families in prayer each day, do a devotion with them, and love and instruct them as the Lord has instructed us.

Psalms 78 talks about what happens when we do not teach our children, about God

1 - A Contemplation of Asaph. Give ear, O my people, to my law; Incline your ears to the words of my mouth. 2 I will open my mouth in a parable; I will utter dark sayings of old, 3 Which we have heard and known, And our fathers have told us.4 We will not hide them from their children, Telling to the generation to come the praises of the LORD, And His strength and His wonderful works that He has done. 5 For He established a testimony in Jacob, And appointed a law in Israel, Which He commanded our fathers, That they should make them known to their children; 6- That the generation to come might know them, The children who would be born, That they may arise and declare them to their children, 7 That they may set their hope in God, And not forget the works of God, But keep His commandments; 8 And may not be like their fathers, A stubborn and rebellious generation, A generation that did not set its heart aright, And whose spirit was not faithful to God.

You can read all of Psalms 78 here
http://www.blueletterbible.org/Bible.cfm?b=Psa&c=78&v=1&t=NKJV#top

.Eric Ludy, - wrote God's Gift to Women, here is an excerpt from the book.

"The version of manhood that heaven applauds and all hell fears is accessible by all males who live and breathe. However, in every generation of young men, there are only a rare few who find it. These few will deliberately choose to change what they will protect and serve with their life. This uncommon band of warrior poets will quit their loyal service to Self and surrender their lives wholly and completely to the protection and service of Another. From out of a generation of young men searching for more, you and I are called to be among these brave few.

I want to challenge each of us to be the Man, God has created us to be.

Where is your Hope?

There is a common ground on which all walk, that is life itself. From conception to the end, life’s paths are a constant act of perpetual motion. We may seem like and say we go three steps forward and two steps back, but we are in a forward motion, heading towards end times. Ours or The End of Time, we do not know.

I stood at a brother’s showing today, I watch people, and take mental notes on how they act and move about, and carry themselves in general. Not for judgmental purposes, but I like observing how people are, I do like studying the human condition.

My friend and brother took a path I don’t understand, but God does He took his life, left behind young children, a Dad and Mom, that loved him, along with the rest of his family. The parking lot was full, the guest register was filling up fast and people huddled together to watch pictures of his life. His mom said, that he always told her he had no friends.

But there they where, coming to give condolences, reminisce about the good times.

Christians and Non-Christians that would talk about their friendship with him. He was a young man, who fought with demons from mistakes, mistakes we all make. But he could not shake them, they dogged him and eventually won the battle for his mind, but they lost the war for his soul. He had given his life just recently to the Lord, and was searching for answers, answers that only God could give him, and hope only God could give him, some answers God allowed us to share, and we got to see the heart of a child beating in a young man.

Life is to short as it is, it seems to end so quickly. Our decisions we make have huge impacts, we can’t think our decisions won’t effect others. Every decisions will effect someone. Some of those eternally, we need to make the right choices daily. As I looked at his friends, I say in their faces, a lack of hope, a despair that is seen in the eyes of a lost world, no future, just gloom and doom because they have no hope for what the future holds. But we do, our hope is in Christ. He is foolishness to them.

1^st Thessalonians 4:13-18 But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus. For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words.

The world does not have a promise of our tomorrow. The world cry’s out love you brotha, but does that mean anything to someone who does not know what love is? The world cry’s out this one for you man, he would have enjoyed that. Because the world has no point of separation from our old selves, when we choose to stay where we are, We need to live that hope, our hearts should cry out and share this hope. We Do have that hope, His name is Jesus Christ. We need to introduce Him to everyone we meet, in the way we live our lives.

Romans 12:1-5 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith. For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another.

God’s word is filled with broken men, and women who have struggles. Struggles that some of us may never know, but struggles that others know very well. But are all known to God. We face some of these by choice, because of our lack of belief, or faith in Christ and the Word of God. We face others because they are consequences for our choices.

We all have doubts, worries, concerns, thoughts, anxieties, lost dreams, crushed hope, etc but life is not about making easy choices. Life for men and women of God is a long line of bumps, bruises and blood. We might as well get used to that now, and expect life to keep coming at us, whether we are up or down.

To the men and women of God I ask this, what in the world is more important to you than Jesus Christ,? nothing or no one should be. What can be next in line, your family, your spouse, your children, their needs? Then others, then yourself. If we use this formula for everyday living, life gets a little bit easier to handle, because we Love Jesus Christ, and that means that we are obedient to Him, and all He says and does. That is what is required of us.

If our hope is in ourselves, if our faith is no more than words that leave our lips, if we do not participate now in the world we live in, then is that hope in us? Is Jesus Christ our hope, our joy our everything? Do we trust Him, call upon Him, follow Him?

Hebrews 10:23-25 , 31-39 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. But recall the former days in which, after you were illuminated, you endured a great struggle with sufferings: partly while you were made a spectacle both by reproaches and tribulations, and partly while you became companions of those who were so treated; for you had compassion on me in my chains, and joyfully accepted the plundering of your goods, knowing that you have a better and an enduring possession for yourselves in heaven. Therefore do not cast away your confidence, which has great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise: "For yet a little while, And He who is coming will come and will not tarry. Now the just shall live by faith; But if anyone draws back, My soul has no pleasure in him." But we are not of those who draw back to perdition, but of those who believe to the saving of the soul.

My friends life is over, his choice was final, so was his decision to ask Christ in his life. I do not condone what he did, I hate what he did, and the way it has impacted his family already, but I have a hope that Jesus Christ's arms will reach out hopefully through the years to come to everyone who attends his funeral, he will have a funeral where the word of God is taught, the hope and love that Christ gives us, I pray every time someone remembers my friend, that the name of Jesus Christ be burned into their heart, that they can not have a thought or memory that is not filled with the message of the cross.

If life is getting at you, stop and fall to your knees, call upon the one who made you, ask Him for His forgiveness, His mercy, His grace, He alone is our hope, the hope for all mankind. He is like no other, and once you meet Him, your life will never be the same. His name is Jesus Christ, and without Him alone, you can have no hope.

And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. Colossians 3:17

In Christ
brian