A thin line

There is a thin yellow line that separates us from life and death.

Have you ever thought about the dividing line on the road, the line between life and death? That death is so close to you and the one you just passed, an ill timed swerve, loss of control, or someone not paying attention they or you cross the yellow line and, bam it's over.

Life is like that we don't know what waits for us around the bend, there are many paths that we can take but there is only one path that leads to an abundant eternal life with God, that is through Jesus Christ.

The Bible tells there is a time to be born the time to die. And just like you did not choose your day to be born you will not choose the day you die.

We drive near that thin everyday, between us and eternity is nothing more than our next breath, we are all sinners but Christians have sought God forgiveness of sins through salvation by the blood of Jesus Christ.

If today your life crossed the line where would you spend eternity only those who put their faith in Jesus Christ will be with God in heaven.

Proverbs 14:8-12 HCSB

The sensible man’s wisdom is to consider his way, but the stupidity of fools deceives them. Fools mock at making restitution, but there is goodwill among the upright. The heart knows its own bitterness, and no outsider shares in its joy. The house of the wicked will be destroyed, but the tent of the upright will stand.   There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death.

John 3:16-18 HCSB

“For God loved  the world in this way:  He gave His One and Only  Son,  so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.    For God did not send His Son into the world that He might condemn  the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. Anyone who believes in Him is not condemned, but anyone who does not believe is already condemned,  because he has not believed in the name  of the One and Only Son  of God.

John 14:6-7, 10 HCSB

Jesus told him, “I am  the way,  the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. “If you know Me, you will also know    My Father.  From now on you do know Him  and have seen Him.” Don’t you believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me?  The words I speak to you I do not speak on My own.  The Father who lives in Me does His works.

The worst of times or the best of times

When we complain about the things around us it is poison to our souls, we should be grateful and thankful for what we have and whose we are, we need to truly understand God is over every thing and every body.

We are not the first to experience rough, difficult or trying times or trials although we can pray we are the last.

You see God has us each where He put us at this time for His purpose and calling.

Art Buchwald said this “Whether these are the best of times or the worst of times, it’s the only time we’ve got.”

What a profound proverb, the apostle Paul gave us institutions on how to live in dark and difficult times, this year let us live as God has called.

Ephesians 5:1-33 HCSB
Therefore, be imitators of God, as dearly loved children. And walk in love, as the Messiah also loved us and gave Himself for us, a sacrificial and fragrant offering to God.

But sexual immorality and any impurity or greed should not even be heard of among you, as is proper for saints. Coarse and foolish talking or crude joking are not suitable, but rather giving thanks.

For know and recognize this: Every sexually immoral or impure or greedy person, who is an idolater, does not have an inheritance in the kingdom of the Messiah and of God.

Let no one deceive you with empty arguments, for God’s wrath is coming on the disobedient because of these things.

Therefore, do not become their partners. For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light — for the fruit of the light results in all goodness, righteousness, and truth — discerning what is pleasing to the Lord.

Don’t participate in the fruitless works of darkness, but instead expose them. For it is shameful even to mention what is done by them in secret. Everything exposed by the light is made clear, for what makes everything clear is light.

Therefore it is said: Get up, sleeper, and rise up from the dead, and the Messiah will shine on you. Pay careful attention, then, to how you walk — not as unwise people but as wise — making the most of the time, because the days are evil.

So don’t be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. And don’t get drunk with wine, which leads to reckless actions, but be filled by the Spirit: speaking to one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing and making music from your heart to the Lord, giving thanks always for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another in the fear of Christ.

Wives,  submit to your own husbands  as to the Lord, for the husband is the head of the wife  as Christ is the head  of the church. He is the Savior of the body.

   Now as the church submits to Christ, so wives are to submit to their husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives,  just as Christ loved  the church and gave Himself  for her to make her holy, cleansing  her with the washing of water by the word. He did this to present the church to Himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or anything like that, but holy and blameless.  

In the same way, husbands are to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hates his own flesh but provides and cares for it, just as Christ does for the church, since we are members of His body. For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two will become one flesh. 

This mystery  is profound, but I am talking about Christ and the church. To sum up, each one of you is to love his wife as himself, and the wife is to respect her husband.

Now is the time

Where has time gone, the New Year is upon us 2015 is here. Time seems to be a friend to no one nowadays, our schedules seems to get more hectic; life seems to be going by so quickly that we miss what God is doing around us, in us and through us.

As 2014 comes to an end reflect back over the days and see where the hands of God have been in your life, your family’s life, in our church and in our community. Has God given you peace, strength, hope, wisdom, grace, mercy this past year?

Yes of course He has, and He will in the New Year, and the Years to come.

The Bible tells us in Ecclesiastics 3 To everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven: A time to be born, And a time to die; A time to plant, And a time to pluck what is planted; …a time to heal; A time to break down, And a time to build up; A time to weep, And a time to laugh; A time to mourn, And a time to dance;… A time to embrace, And a time to refrain from embracing;…A time to gain, And a time to lose; A time to keep, And a time to throw away; A time to tear, And a time to sew; A time to keep silence, And a time to speak; A time to love, And a time to hate; A time of war, And a time of peace. ..He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also He has put eternity in their hearts, except that no one can find out the work that God does from beginning to end. I know that nothing is better for them than to rejoice and to do good in their lives, and also that every man should eat and drink and enjoy the good of all his labor--it is the gift of God. I know that whatever God does, It shall be forever. Nothing can be added to it, And nothing taken from it. God does it, that men should fear before Him.

Let us commit our ways to God this year, rejoice in who He is, let Him work in our lives and in the lives of those around us, and in all we do, do as unto the Lord.

There is a time for everything the scriptures tell us, it is God’s timing not ours, let us trust Him to see us through whatever comes our way.

2 Corinthians 5:17 HCSB

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation;  old things have passed away, and look,  new things  have come.

The answer to life's hardest a question.

People ask all the time why does God allow this to happen?

Remember God is always at work in the lives of His children, working on our behalf, conforming us into the image of Jesus.

The answer to life's hardest question is this ;God will work in you, before He works through you.

We are now at the end of this year , look back reflect and see where the hands of God have been upon you and your family this year, be encouraged in His love and care and meditate upon these verses and seek God in all you do in the New Year.

May you be blessed in 2015.

Philippians 1:6 HCSB

I am sure of this, that He who started a good work  in you  will carry it on to completion  until the day of Christ Jesus.

Philippians 1:29-30 HCSB

For it has been given to you on Christ’s behalf not only to believe  in Him, but also to suffer for Him, having the same struggle that you saw I had and now hear that I have.

Philippians 2:13 HCSB

For it is God who is working in you, enabling you both to desire and to work out His good purpose.

Philippians 3:4-10 HCSB

although I once also had confidence in the flesh. If anyone else thinks he has grounds for confidence in the flesh, I have more: circumcised the eighth day;  of the nation of Israel,  of the tribe of Benjamin,  a Hebrew born of Hebrews; regarding the law,  a Pharisee; regarding zeal,  persecuting  the church; regarding the righteousness that is in the law,  blameless. But everything that was a gain to me, I have considered to be a loss because of Christ. More than that, I also consider everything to be a loss in view of the surpassing value  of knowing Christ  Jesus my Lord. Because of Him I have suffered the loss of all things and consider them filth, so that I may gain Christ   and be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own from the law,  but one that is through faith in Christ  — the righteousness from God based on faith.   My goal is to know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings,  being conformed to His death,

Philippians 3:12-14 HCSB

Not that I have already reached the goal or am already fully mature, but I make every effort to take hold  of it because I also have been taken hold of by Christ Jesus. Brothers, I do not  consider myself to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind  and reaching forward to what is ahead, I pursue as my goal the prize promised by God’s heavenly  call in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 3:21 HCSB

He will transform the body of our humble condition into the likeness of His glorious  body,  by the power that enables Him to subject everything to Himself.

Philippians 4:4-9, 11-13, 19 HCSB

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your graciousness be known to everyone. The Lord is near.   Don’t worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses  every thought, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Finally brothers, whatever is true,  whatever is honorable,  whatever is just,  whatever is pure,  whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable — if there is any moral excellence  and if there is any praise — dwell on these things. Do what you have learned and received  and heard and seen in me, and the God of peace will be with you. I don’t say this out of need, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. I know both how to have a little, and I know how to have a lot.  In any and all circumstances I have learned the secret of being content — whether well fed or hungry, whether in abundance or in need. I am able to do all things through Him  who strengthens me.   And my God  will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.

Rejoice

Christmas is a great time of fellowship with family, anticipating Christmas morning is something the child in each of us that should never go away.

But it can be a time of loneliness and sadness for some, reflecting back over this year so many of our loved ones have passed from this body of death we live in, to an eternity of life everlasting.

Sadness is not for them, but each of us who still are here left with a void.

Let us not dwell on our losses,let us dwell on the moments of grace and goodness that the Lord gave each us together with those who have gone ahead.

Remember to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. And one day we will be reunited with them all in the presence of our Lord.

Now these promises I must tell you are only to those who call upon the name of Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, for in Him alone is hope,joy,peace,love and salvation.

1 Corinthians 15:35-58 HCSB

But someone will say, “How are the dead raised? What kind of body will they have when they come? ” Foolish one! What you sow does not come to life unless it dies. And as for what you sow — you are not sowing the future body, but only a seed, perhaps of wheat or another grain.

But God gives it a body as He wants, and to each of the seeds its own body. Not all flesh is the same flesh; there is one flesh for humans, another for animals, another for birds, and another for fish.

There are heavenly bodies and earthly bodies, but the splendor of the heavenly bodies is different from that of the earthly ones. There is a splendor of the sun, another of the moon, and another of the stars; for one star differs from another star in splendor. So it is with the resurrection of the dead: Sown in corruption, raised in incorruption; sown in dishonor, raised in glory; sown in weakness, raised in power; sown a natural body, raised a spiritual body.

If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. So it is written: The first man Adam became a living being; the last Adam became a life-giving Spirit. However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural, then the spiritual. The first man was from the earth and made of dust; the second man is from heaven.

Like the man made of dust, so are those who are made of dust; like the heavenly man, so are those who are heavenly. And just as we have borne the image of the man made of dust, we will also bear the image of the heavenly man. Brothers, I tell you this: Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, and corruption cannot inherit incorruption. Listen! I am telling you a mystery: We will not all fall asleep, but we will all be changed, in a moment, in the blink of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we will be changed. For this corruptible must be clothed with incorruptibility
, and this mortal must be clothed with immortality.

When this corruptible is clothed with incorruptibility, and this mortal is clothed with immortality, then the saying that is written will take place: Death has been swallowed up in victory. Death, where is your victory? Death, where is your sting? Now the sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ! Therefore, my dear brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always excelling in the Lord’s work, knowing that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.

I can only imagine

It is hard to imagine at times a world of peace, we all hope and should pray that day comes soon. But as long as there is sin in this world, chaos, death, destruction, anger, hostility all the enemies of peace will have the upper hand. There is coming a day though when Christ shall return, and when He does hope will be fulfilled, peace will be installed, and love will rule our lives.

Jim Daily from focus on the family recently posted this.

"I want every child to grow up in a home with a mom and a dad, with parents who tuck them into warm beds on cold nights with a kiss, a hug and prayers of assurance.

I want the most innocent and vulnerable among us, pre-born children, to be protected under the rule of law.
I want God’s gift of marriage to be celebrated, not redefined.

I want our nation’s schoolchildren to walk in and out of their classrooms with a spirited and excited spring in their step, not looking over their shoulder or wondering if their school is safe.

I want a world where we celebrate not denigrate our pastors, these brave and courageous individuals who extend God’s love to all people and who preach the Gospel with boldness and courage.

I want to live in a colorblind society, among people who see the character of a person, not the pigment of their skin or their place on the social class ladder.

I want our leaders to respect our religious freedoms and not force us to choose between violating our conscience and following the laws of the land.

I want peace, not war – militarily, politically, physically, socially and emotionally."

Jeremiah 23:5-6 HCSB

“The days are coming”  — this is the Lord ’s declaration — “when I will raise up a Righteous Branch of David. He will reign wisely as king and administer justice and righteousness in the land. In His days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell securely. This is what He will be named: Yahweh Our Righteousness.

Philippians 2:1-11 HCSB

If then there is any encouragement in Christ, if any consolation of love,  if any fellowship with the Spirit,  if any affection and mercy,   fulfill my joy by thinking the same way,  having the same love,  sharing the same feelings, focusing on one  goal. Do nothing out of rivalry  or conceit,  but in humility  consider others as more important  than yourselves. Everyone should look out not only for his own interests,  but also for the interests of others. Make your own attitude that of Christ Jesus, who, existing in the form of God, did not consider equality with God as something to be used for His own advantage. Instead He emptied Himself by assuming the form of a slave, taking on the likeness of men. And when He had come as a man in His external form, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death — even to death on a cross. For this reason God highly exalted Him and gave Him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow  — of those who are in heaven  and on earth and under the earth  — and every tongue  should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory  of God the Father.

Revelation 21:1-8 HCSB

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth,  for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away,  and the sea no longer existed.   I also saw the Holy City,  new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God,  prepared like a bride adorned for her husband. Then I heard a loud voice  from the throne:   Look! God’s dwelling  is with humanity, and He will live with them. They will be His people, and God Himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. Death will no longer exist; grief, crying, and pain will exist no longer, because the previous things  have passed away. Then the One seated on the throne said, “Look! I am making everything new.” He also said, “Write, because these words  are faithful and true.”   And He said to me, “It is done!  I am the Alpha and the Omega,  the Beginning and the End.  I will give water as a gift to the thirsty  from the spring of life.   The victor  will inherit these things, and I will be his God, and he will be My son.   But the cowards, unbelievers,  vile, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars  — their share will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur,  which is the second death.”

Even so come quickly Lord Jesus, Merry Christmas, may there be peace on earth and goodwill towards all men.

A year of Jubilee

The year our Lord Jesus Christ was born was a year of Jubilee, the year of Jubilee is quite special in Jewish heritage.

"The Jubilee year is the completion of the sabbatical years. Every 7 years God commanded Israel to take an entire Sabbath year. A full year of rest. Enjoy His presence. But every 7th cycle of 7 years (so every 49 years) Israel threw an incredible party that entailed a few things like large scale debt getting cancelled, slaves would be set free, and God’s presence would be particularly manifest in the year of Jubilee. And during Jubilee they were commanded to celebrate, party, sign, dance, and shout". ( from Jefferson Bethke )

When you read the genealogy of Matthew 1 you can see the importance of the list of names because it is pointing to the celebration of Jubilee that we still celebrate today. Every word, every name is written in the word of God for a reason, not by chance, not random thought's, but for a reason. We might not understand them at first, but with guidance from the Holy Spirit, and a little research you can see the wonder of God's word.

Christ came in the year of Jubilee to cancel our spiritual debts. All who where slaves to sin are set free through Him. All who still are slaves to sin can only be set free through Him. This is one of the reasons we celebrate the work God has done, and is doing through the birth, life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. When Christ came He brought with Him an entire way of living, loving, and knowing God.

This Christmas season celebrate the year of jubilee, if your free today from the chains of sin in you're life thank Jesus Christ, and if you're not then seek Him out today, and He will reveal the truths,the scriptures tell us to seek and you will find.

Matthew 1:1-25 HCSB

The  historical record   of Jesus Christ, the Son of David,  the Son of Abraham: Abraham fathered  Isaac, Isaac fathered Jacob, Jacob fathered Judah and his brothers, Judah fathered Perez and Zerah by Tamar, Perez fathered Hezron, Hezron fathered Aram, Aram fathered Amminadab, Amminadab fathered Nahshon, Nahshon fathered Salmon, Salmon fathered Boaz by Rahab, Boaz fathered Obed by Ruth, Obed fathered Jesse, and Jesse fathered King David. Then  David fathered Solomon by Uriah’s wife, Solomon fathered Rehoboam, Rehoboam fathered Abijah, Abijah fathered Asa, Asa  fathered Jehoshaphat, Jehoshaphat fathered Joram, Joram fathered Uzziah, Uzziah fathered Jotham, Jotham fathered Ahaz, Ahaz fathered Hezekiah, Hezekiah fathered Manasseh, Manasseh fathered Amon, Amon fathered Josiah, and Josiah fathered Jechoniah and his brothers at the time of the exile to Babylon. Then after the exile to Babylon Jechoniah fathered Shealtiel, Shealtiel fathered Zerubbabel, Zerubbabel fathered Abiud, Abiud fathered Eliakim, Eliakim fathered Azor, Azor fathered Zadok, Zadok fathered Achim, Achim fathered Eliud, Eliud fathered Eleazar, Eleazar fathered Matthan, Matthan fathered Jacob, and Jacob fathered Joseph the husband of Mary, who gave birth to  Jesus who is called the Messiah. So all the generations from Abraham to David were 14 generations; and from David until the exile to Babylon, 14 generations; and from the exile to Babylon until the Messiah, 14 generations. The birth of Jesus Christ came about this way: After His mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, it was discovered before they came together that she was pregnant by the Holy Spirit.   So her husband Joseph, being a righteous man,  and not wanting to disgrace her publicly, decided to divorce her secretly. But after he had considered these things, an angel of the Lord suddenly appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, don’t be afraid to take Mary as your wife, because what has been conceived in her is by the Holy Spirit.   She will give birth to a son, and you are to name Him Jesus,   because He will save His people from their sins.” Now all this took place to fulfill what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet: See, the virgin will become pregnant and give birth to a son, and they will name Him Immanuel, which is translated “God is with us.” When Joseph got up from sleeping, he did as the Lord’s angel had commanded him. He married her   but did not know her intimately until she gave birth to a son.  And he named Him Jesus.

John 8:34:36 Jesus answered them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin. "And a slave does not abide in the house forever, but a son abides forever. "Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.