Posts belonging to Category Insights For Today



Approaching God with Confidence…

Approaching GodFor there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all people.  1 Timothy 2:5-6a

Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.  Hebrews 4:14-16

Because you are his sons, (and daughters) God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, (daddy) Father.” So you are no longer a slave (to sin), but God’s child; and since you are his child, God has made you also an heir.  Galatians 4:6-8

(Jesus said) Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  Matthew 11:29

AMEN!!!

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Another New Day…

Another New DayBecause of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed,  for his compassions never fail.  They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.  Lamentations 3:22-23

Paul writes … Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it.  But one thing I do:  Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.  Philippians 3:13-14

For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. 2 Corinthians 4:17

AMEN!!!

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Do not be the partakers of others sins!

Sin is breaking the Law of God (1 John 3:4). World is full of sinners. As a sinner, we are separated from God (Isaiah 59:2). Jesus Christ came to the world (1 John 4:10) died to pay for our sins on the cross. Sin is like disease that corrupts the body same as Sin corrupts the soul to become evil. It brings calamity to all those who participate in it. Gods word gives us warning not to associate those who do evil “And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them” (Eph. 5:11). When we rebuke a person who lives in sin, he will hate us or he might defend himself by twisting the scriptures according to his sinful desires. Truth always offends those who are living in sin and darkness. “Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils: ye cannot be partakers of the Lord’s Table, and of the table of devils.”1st Corinthians 10:21.There are many people around us that even though they may not commit sins but directly or indirectly they consent or endorse with those who sins (Romans 1:29-32).Eg. of some excuses to partake in people sins are by Defending the sinner by arguments, or saying one was tempted , some may even partake in another’s sin by simply not condemning the sin by Calling it as an occasional thing or social things or cultural thing or everyone does it or its good for health. The people who partakers of sins are often see things that are sinful, but they dare not to rebuke the sinner but they encourage the wicked. Ezek. 13:22 1Tim. 5:20; 2 Tim. 4:2 says be not partakers with the wicked,” but “be partakers with the righteous. Even though we may think we are good enough, even one sin disqualifies us from being in the presence of God. David was an adulterer and murderer. Moses was a murderer, Abraham was a liar and coward, Jacob was a deceiver Yet, they were all considered righteous because the repented from their sinful ways and had a proper relationship with God .God forgave them and loved them. The unsaved person cannot understand God, nor His Word nor his commandments because he is not born without the Spirit of God in his soul because he is spiritually blinded .Gods word says “But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned” (1st Corinthians 2:14).
Scripture clarification on this:
Proverbs 11:20 – Those who are of a perverse heart are an abomination to the Lord, But the blameless in their ways are His delight.

Luke 17:3 – If your brother sins, rebuke him (. Matthew 18:15).

2 Timothy 2:24-26 – The Lord’s servant must correct those who have been taken captive by the Devil.

James 5:19- 20-We should seek to convert those who go into sin and error.

1 Timothy 5:22-Do not lay hands upon anyone too hastily and thereby share responsibility for the sins of others; keep yourself free from sin.

2 Cor. 6:17-Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch no unclean thing; and I will receive you ” .

Ephesians 5:11 Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them.

The Bible declares in 1 Corinthians 5: 11-13, But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such one not to eat. Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person.”

God loves us and He will forgive us if we are humble before him by confessing of our sins to him and to each other by putting our trust in Jesus, by walking in his commandments and asking Him to forgive us of our sins by our genuine repentance.

May God bless you as you seek to serve and obey Him!

5 Laws of Success

I love to read, period. I’ve found that there is a wealth of knowledge waiting to be discovered through reading the writings of those who have come before me. You see, I have a thirst for knowledge, and this thirst keeps me searching for new material. This helps me expand my knowledge and places me in a position to help others.

Recently I read a book written by Bob Burg and David Mann entitled, “The Go-Giver”. In the world we live in people are basically taught to be Go-Getters, so when I saw this title, it took me for a loop. I just had to see what a Go-Giver was! Now I knew the Bible taught that it was “more blessed to give than to receive”, but this book was not written by Christians; at least they didn’t claim to be. I picked up the book and began to read. I just had to see what this was all about.

In it, Bob and David tell a story of a man who was trying to reach a certain level of success only to keep finding failure after failure. He was worried that if he did not turn this situation around he would eventually lose his job for the lack of production. He was desperate! He sought out an elderly man who was known to have the uncanny ability to teach others how to succeed beyond their wildest dreams. However, when finally arranged a meeting with this gentleman, the “secret” to his success was nothing he had ever expected to hear.

The old gentleman gave him 5 laws for success that totally went against everything he had been led to believe all of his life. Yet, because of his desperate situation, he obliged the man and did what he was instructed to do if he wanted to achieve success. I have listed, in brief, the 5 laws that he was told to follow. It would do you well to follow these steps, as they apply to everything we do in life. Here are, “The 5 Laws of Stratospheric Success”.

1) The Law of Value

“Your true worth is determined by how much more you give in value than you receive in payment.”

We live in a society that teaches us to be selfish in our giving. There are those who will only give to others when it benefits themselves. In other words, “What’s in it for me?” This attitude will eventually hinder your success rather than promote it. It is when we learn to give to others unselfishly that we truly begin to prosper.

2) The Law of Compensation

“Your income is determined by how many people you serve and how well you serve them”.

Every successful person can relate to this law. You see, the more people you help, the faster you will climb the ladder of success. It works in business, in church building and even among our personal relationships. People love to be loved. And when you love someone, you always want to help them. When you help them, help always come to you when you need it.

Now, it might not come from the same ones that you helped, but it will come. It’s a law, and one that even Jesus taught in Luke 6:38. “Give, and it shall be given; good measure, pressed down and shaken together shall men give unto your bosom”. Giving shows unselfishness, which brings us to our third law os success.

3) The Law of Influence

“Your influence is determined by how abundantly you place other people’s needs first”.

This is a law that every Christian understands. God put us first when He gave His only begotten Son, and the result is that the influence of Christianity is known everywhere; among those who believe and those who don’t. The more people we put above ourselves, the more we are becoming like Him. Our influence will be felt everywhere we go.

Recently, I wrote my a book entitled, “Faith That Recovers All – Taking Back What The Enemy Stole”. I didn’t have the money to get published so I gave away a few hundred copies on Amazon. Many who received copies of the book liked it and testified how it helped them to have more faith in difficult times. That was the expected end that I had for writing the  book.

However, what was unexpected was this. Many of these readers became my ambassadors for the book. They told this one, who told that one, etc. The book quickly advanced to the top 100 books in its category among 750,000+ books on Amazon! Now that’s influence! By helping as many as I could by giving the book away, my influence  increased around the world! This is how the law of influence works, Help as many as you can, unselfishly, and you will creat an army of ambassadors spreading the word about you!

4) The Law of Authenticity

“The most valuable gift you have to offer is you”.

Simply put, just be yourself! Be real with people. Don’t try to portray yourself as this great, flawless human being! People hate phonies, and when they detect you are not being real, they will avoid you like a plague. There is no need to spend a lot of time on this point because I know you get where I’m coming from. Always be authentic; mistakes and all. You will make them, but people will respect you more when you admit them. Don’t ever subscribe to the o;d saying, “Fake it until you make it”. Just be yourself and you’ll go a lot farther.

5) The Law of Receptivity

“The key to effective giving is to stay open to receive”.

You’ve probably heard the expression, “It’s better to give than to receive” at some point in your life. Not only is this a misquotation of Acts 20:35, it is absolutely incorrect! It isn’t better to give, it is more blessed to give. There is a difference. You see, it is impossible to give and not receive. The blessing from giving is receiving. That’s why we are taught to do it! God wants us to receive, so He teaches us to be givers so that we can receive!

Look at it this way. “God so loved the world, that He gave His Only Begotten Son” the bible says in John 3:16. He gave to us so that He in turn could receive from us. I’m not talking about money here. I’m speaking of Him giving us His Son so that He could receive many sons! We must learn that it is insanity to believe that our actions carry no reciprocation. Everything we do, good or bad, has an effect on what we receive in return.

That is why we must be open to receive if we are givers. It is offensive not to accept gifts that are offered to us. That is why those who refuse the gift of God are eventually cut off from eternal life with Christ. Give good things and good things will be given unto you. The opposite is just as true so be careful how you give!

I have only briefly covered these 5 laws. I highly recommend that you get your hands on the book, “The Go-Giver” and read it today. It will truly change the way you think. You can get the book either by clicking the Amazon resource link on this site or go to http://thegogiver.com In the meantime, learn the 5 laws and out them into practice in your life. I guarantee you will see a difference.

Pastor Jonathan Rudd

To get my latest book, click the link below.

Faith That Recovers All – Taking Back What The Enemy Stole

Only God is Worthy

Today I was singing to myself a song that I had learned in church, Not to us o Lord, which has the words “All we have, we bring to give, the honor and the love that you alone are worthy of.” While I was singing this I focused on the concept of worth and how God is the only one worthy of our honor and love.

In the Bible it talks about how we must honor and love God with all our minds, souls, body and that if we love another more than God we are not worthy of him (Matt 10:37). This struck me as a very powerful concept because often we put worth on people and objects and focus our energies on these things. But, when we fully understand the worth of these things we see that we have misplaced our dedications.

Webster’s dictionary defines worth as “having sufficient worth or importance.” All the things of this world are worthless for they shall pass away. People are not worthy of honor and praise because they are fallible. Only God is truly worthy of our honor and love because he is unfailing in his love for us. Who else can claim that they have unfailing love for another? The Bible tells the story about a Hosea who marries a prostitute that commits herself to him but falls back into prostitution. This paints for us a vivid picture of what God must endure with each individual. But through God’s unfailing love he holds onto us no matter the cost.

This continual act of love is only one aspect of God’s worth of our honor, praise, and love. The very fact that we continue to fall into our old ways and that God accepts us back unto him each time is almost beyond comprehension. But, it shows us that no other is WORTHY of our adoration.

The Prayers of Jesus…

The Prayers of JesusAfter Jesus said this, he looked toward heaven and prayed:

 “Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you. For you granted him authority over all people that he might give eternal life to all those you have given him. Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. I have brought you glory on earth by finishing the work you gave me to do. And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began.  John 17:1-5

Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, (Heaven) and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world.  John 17:24

“All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father (God) except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him. “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  Matthew 11:27-29

AMEN!!!

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Find Joy in the Lord…

Find the joy of the lordPaul writes, We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light.  Colossians 1:9a-12

 Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality. Romans 12:10-13

May the righteous be glad and rejoice before God; may they be happy and joyful. Sing to God, sing in praise of his name, extol him who rides on the clouds; rejoice before him—his name is the LORD.  Psalm 68:3-4

Though you have not seen him, (Jesus) you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls. 1 Peter 1:8-9  

Glory be to God, AMEN!!!

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Walking with God…

Walking with GodConsider what God has done: Who can straighten what he has made crooked? When times are good, be happy; but when times are bad, consider this: God has made the one as well as the other. Therefore, no one can discover anything about their future. Ecclesiastes 7:13-14

No temptation (or trial) has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear.  But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.  1 Corinthians 10:13

 He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end. I know that there is nothing better for people than to be happy and to do good while they live. That each of them may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all their toil—this is the gift of God.  Ecclesiastes 3:11-13

AMEN!!!

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Nuggets of Wisdom   … spread the Word

Happy Birthday, Dear and Beloved Jesus!

Birthday of Jesus is the time to remember that In Bethlehem a savior is born who is a Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Birthday of Jesus means Love came down and was born at Christmas.

Birthday of Jesus is the time of ringing bells, cakes and candles.

Birthday of Jesus is the month of snow & Songs, Carols & Joys.
Birthday of Jesus showed us to live with charity, forgiveness, faith, humility, sacrifice, truth, peace, happiness and service.

Birthday of Jesus reminds us that Jesus is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.

Birthday of Jesus reminds us that Jesus Christ is the resurrection and the life, the way and the truth.

Birthday of Jesus reminds us that we have fellowship with God

Birthday of Jesus reminds us that we are the ambassador for Christ Jesus.

Birthday of Jesus reminds us that we can live holy and blameless in God’s sight.

Birth day of Jesus means God is with us through Holy Spirit.

Birthday of Jesus reminds us that in Jesus Christ; we are blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places. 

Birthday of Jesus reminds us that in Jesus Christ we have eternal life, redemption and forgiveness.

Birthday of Jesus means a savior came to the world to save us from sins and to seek the lost.

Jesus is the greatest gift at Christmas!

 Dear brothers and sisters let us Invite Jesus Christ into our home and heart and experience Christmas with families and friends with heavenly blessings. I wish a delightful Christmas and a happy New Year!

God Loves Everyone the Same, No Matter How They’re Created

Psalm 139 is a wonderful song of praise to God. Verse 14 says, “I will praise thee, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.” The Psalmist notes that he is imperfect, but that God’s thoughts toward him are wonderful (v. 17), because he will guide anyone through anything, from the usual difficulties – such as when Paul learned God’s strength was made perfect in His weakness – to those not so usual.

Each of us is a miracle, created by God for a specific purpose. He doesn’t want there to be imperfections; He created this world perfect, but then sin entered intot he world through mankind’s free will. So, now, there are people who experience all sorts of difficulties in their lives because of the curse of sin which caused this world to become broken down. It’s not any one person’s sin that causes it – it’s the imperfection which came when this perfect world had imperfection brought into it.

So, because of that imperfection, there are people like me born with low vision (in my case, from Dandy-Walker Syndrome) or hearing (in my case, bad enough to need a hearing aid.) There are those with other things physical or mental. And, there are even those whose creation is really unique – those born with a mix of anatomical traits considered both male and female, or which are atypical for each. Such people are known as intersex.

Intersex has nothing to do with sexual orientation, by the way; that has no relevance to this. In fact, it has nothing to do with homosexuality or the transgender movement. These are among numerous major fallacies. about it. The Bible says nothing specific about the issue, except that obvioulsy we must show the same love Jesus showed everyone. Numerous websites devoted to the issue merely seek to raise awareness of the issue and of difficulties encountered in society which are related to it.

We can’t always figure out why God chose what He did for us. I have a few ideas, based on what I’ve accomplished, of why He gave me low vision, low hearing, a bit of cerebral palsy (enough my feet point out a touch & I couldn’t do little things like open cans or jars as early as some kids), and possible even a touch of mild Asperger’s Syndrome. But the important thing is that He is the God of all comfort who provides a peace which passes understanding when we trust Him to. I’ve been able to do things I never would have, and help people I wouldn’t have, without these – some of which nobody else would have. Even though my body isn’t perfect, like anyone else, I’m a miracle.

God’s most amazing miracles surely include those connected with His birth, death, and resurrection. He came to die for each of us, to take the punishment for our sins, mine as well as others. Then, He rose from the dead, having the victory over everything.

For Him to do this, of course, He had to do as John 1:14 says He did – He “became flesh and dwelt among us.” He was fully God and fully man. While here, He showed great care for the hurting people of this world. While the Pharisees, the religious crowd, cared only for the usual and tried to impress others, Jesus cared for those who were unusual in some way. He performed many healings, not only of physical things but also of broken hearts.

Some of those hearts were broken by the treatment which the Pharisees gave, I’m sure. But, these people recognized that Jesus was special. He was different. He and god the Father are one. (John 10:30) God had ordained the Law in the commandments to teach the people that they couldn’t follow even those laws all the time, because of the nature of their hearts. So, they had to trust Him by faith in order to be saved. Salvation has always had a faith component. However, the Pharisees, as people often do, turned it into a totally works-based system and condemned those who went against it.

They even thought they had answers for why God created people such as the blind man in John chapter 9. They asked a strange question of Jesus – whether the man or his parents had sinned that he was born blind. Jesus told them that neither one had; the man was born blind that the works of God might be made manifest in him. Then, Jesus healed the blind man. The Pharisees were so upset that they threw him out of the synagogue; this man then wound up becoming a follower of Jesus.

We don’t know much about this man as a follower, but his testimony must have been amazing. He had the same testimony as anyone can who has experienced something other than the usual from their physical body. That testimony is that Jesus can and will overcome anything if they trust Him, and help them through anything.

This doesn’t mean that Jesus will heal everyone of physical problems while living. For some, healing won’t come until He calls them home to His perfect Heaven, at which time I will have perfect sight and hearing, those confined to whellchairs will be able to run, and so on. I know of one young man, in fact, who must wear braves on his legs. When he reaches Heaven, the first thing he plans to do is leap 100 feet in the air.

It does, however, mean that Jesus will give anyone the ability to get through anything with His help. It also means that – while not everything is good in this world – all those things we face will work together for good to them that love God. (Romans 8:28) God has a way of taking anything and using it for good. Even the bad things which people do because they have not learned of His love. God lives in each believer through the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 113-14, 4;30; John 14-16, etc.) So, it is up to each believer to let Him guide them in the truth, being control by His Spirit. Thankfully, He will always love and cleanse us from sin when we turn to Him by faith. (1 John 1:9-2:1)

What He can’t take are peoples’ sins. No sin can enter Heaven. Heaven is a perfect place which God established so there would be no suffering, no tears, no pain, no parting, no sorrow. No bad stuff can enter there. So, He had to find a way for people like me and you and everyone to get there. Because, while our imperfections aren’t because of our own sin, we do all sin and come short of the glory of God. (Romans 3:23) that means each of us comes short of God’s perfect Heaven.

God gave us each a wonderful gift, though. The wages of sin – what we earn because of our sin – is death, separation from God forever in a place called Hell. But, the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. (Romans 6:23)

That is the awesome gift which we must remember to celebrate, whether or not we celebrate Jesus’ birthday on December 25 or not. That gift of life forever in that perfect Heaven is free; all a person has to do is to receive it.

People have been mistreated throughout history because of differences. That mistreatment comes through actions of various sorts; words play a part, too, but focusing only on surface things like names can make one as bad as the Pharisees, who refused to do as God commands and look at the heart. The important thing is that God loves each of us because of who we are on the inside, not because of what name we go by.

The way to have that personal relationship with God – so you can get His help here and also go to His perfect Heaven someday – is to simply “believe on the Lord Jesus Christm, and thou shalt be saved.” (Acts 16:31) Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. (Romans 10:13) That whosoever means anyone – any person can put their name in there because God is talking about them.

We may each have different physical characteristics. But, we each have one thing in common – a need for God’s love and forgiveness. Our differences are not because of sin – they are because God created each of us in a unique way so that we can glorify Him in who we are and what we do. However, we all do hve sin – myself included. We fall short of God’s perfect glory.

God doesn’t demand works like the Pharisees, though. That would be unfair anyway because some people could work more than others; some can’t do any. God made sure it was all by grace through faith in Him. It is not of works, lest any man should boast. (Ephesians. 2:8-9)

Because it is by faith alone in Christ alone, each of us is only a single, sincere prayer of repentence to Jesus away from eternal life. The words don’t matter – but it can go something like this. “Dear Lord Jesus, I know I’m a sinner. I can’t reach your perfect Heaven myself. But, I know you died for my sins and rose from the dead. You took my punishment so I could get to heaven and also have life with you now, so you can guide me and help me on earth. Lrod Jesus, today I choose to turn from my sins and trust you to save me. I call on your name, asking you to save me from my sins and come into my heart to live. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”

That’s all there is to it. We don’t know what God has planned – I heard about a condition from an online friend and I considered a number of ways to do it. Suddenly, this blog came out of my thoughts and prayers. I know that whatever happens, though, the Christian life is a great adventure in trusting the Lord to see you through everything. He has always been faithful to me, and He wants everyone to not only call on Him but also to let Him guide them in showing His love to others and telling of His great gift to them.

Coventant With God

I thought I’d share this great resource that was presented by our pastor recently.  It serves as a reminder to what it takes to live a godly life.  We have a responsibility as Christians to live by this covenant with God…not as an obligation but as a evidence of our salvation.  It is also not an attempt to save our selves by living good lives…that is not possible since we’re saved by Grace alone, however, once we accept Jesus in our lives, there should be some fruit or evidence that we’re saved.   The same Grace that saved us also gives us the ability and the power to change our behavior and live a life worthy of our calling. 

Feel free to download a printable version of “My Covenant with God” by clicking on this link.

In Covenant with God

I Will

Be Responsible
For we are each responsible for our own conduct. Galatians 5:6 (NLT)

Know The Word Of God
For the word of God is full of living power. It is sharper than the sharpest knife, cutting deep into our innermost thoughts and desires. It exposes us for what we really are. Nothing in all creation can hide from him. Everything is naked and exposed before his eyes. This is the God to whom we must explain all that we have done. Hebrews 12-13

Be Fruitful In All Areas Of My Life
“Unless you are faithful in small matters, you won’t be faithful in large ones. If you cheat even a little, you won’t be honest with greater responsibilities. Luke 16:10

Love God With All Your Heart, Mind and Strength
Jesus replied, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.”  Matthew 22:37

Always Honor Authority
The authorities are sent by God to help you. But if you are doing something wrong, of course you should be afraid, for you will be punished. The authorities are established by God for that very purpose, to punish those who do wrong.  So you must obey the government for two reasons: to keep from being punished and to keep a clear conscience. Romans 13:4-5

Pray
Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Philippians 4:6

Work Diligently
Work hard and cheerfully at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people.  Remember that the Lord will give you an inheritance as your reward, and the Master you are serving is Christ.  Colossians 3:23-24

Forgive Others and Reconcile With Those I Have Wronged
But when you are praying, first forgive anyone you are holding a grudge against, so that your Father in heaven will forgive your sins, too.  Mark 11:25-26

Walk With Integrity
For the grace of God has been revealed, bringing salvation to all people.  And we are instructed to turn from godless living and sinful pleasures. We should live in this evil world with self-control, right conduct, and devotion to God,  while we look forward to that wonderful event when the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, will be revealed.  Titus 2:11-13

Work To Fulfill Each Of These Items For The Rest Of My Life For His Glory
But if you are unwilling to serve the LORD, then choose today whom you will serve. Would you prefer the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates? Or will it be the gods of the Amorites in whose land you now live? But as for me and my family, we will serve the LORD.  Joshua 24:15

Signature                                                                                                                              Date

Feel free to download a printable version of “My Covenant with God” by clicking on this link.

Prayer for Sick Children!

Prayer is the most effective spiritual weapon in defeating the enemy. When sickness comes we need to rebuke the symptoms in the name of Jesus and Release the Blood of Jesus Christ against them because Jesus had paid for our sickness on the cross and by his stripes we are healed. Our main Focus should be the faith and the power of God and not on the wisdom of man or the medical reports.

Lord I Thank You for the benefits and provision of the blood of Jesus Christ and I apply the blood of Jesus upon my child’s body from the top of her head to the soles of her feet and cleanse her from all sickness ,diseases and sins.

Let the blood of Jesus stand against any hidden sickness and diseases.

I rebuke and cast out all kinds of fever, viral infections, and pains in my Childs body in the name of Jesus Christ and through his Blood.

I speak healing and strength to each and every part of my child’s body and mind in the name of Jesus Christ.

Father God, in the name of Jesus Christ , I rebuke, break and loose: myself my child and my family members from any and all evil curses, every spirit of infirmity, ancestral sins, generational curses, heredity problems, demonic holds, psychic powers, physical and mental illness ,family and marital curses. Through the blood of Jesus my child has been redeemed out of every sickness and she is healed completely and has the life of God in her.

I confess that my child’s body is a temple of God and the Holy Spirit; she is redeemed, cleansed, sanctified, by the blood of Jesus. Therefore sickness, diseases and Satan has no place in her life, no more power over her life, because of the blood of Jesus Christ.

It is God’s will that my child prospers and be in good health, just as her soul prospers.

The faith in the Name of Jesus Christ, the precious Blood of Jesus Christ and the Word of God will together raise my child up from the sick bed through healing miracle .I hold the blood of Jesus as a shield of protection against any power of sickness and diseases, viruses, or illnesses that could come against my child in her life, in Jesus’ name. I praise and thank You Lord God for my child’s deliverance and healing. Amen.

Enjoy your perfect health through Gods healing and deliverance!

Road to Eternal life!

We see everyday that millions of people are dying around the world every second. Within the Christian faith, there is a lot of confusion regarding what happens after death. Some people claim death is final some claim life begins after death, some claim everyone is in sleep until the second coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, some others believe that when some one dies instantly they are judged according to their fruits ,few others believe that they go to be with Christ immediately after death. Death is really a mysterious topic to be discussed.

Types of death: God says the wages of sin is DEATH not immortal life (Romans 6:23) but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 6:23). The scripture says that there are three types of death. When each person dies on this earth it’s called physical death, a separation of the spirit from the body is called second type of death which is called spiritual death (Isaiah 59:1-2)and the third type of death is called eternal death which is permanent separation of humanity from God (2 Thessalonians 1:9).

God told Adam and Eve they would die if they ate of the forbidden fruit. (Genesis 2:17). When Adam disobeyed God, he experienced immediate spiritual death, which caused him to hide from Lord God among the trees of the garden (Genesis 3:8). Later, Adam experienced physical death (Genesis 5:5). The physical death has entered into the world with Adam’s sin (Romans 5:12) affected all living things.

When a righteous man dies: Deaths of saints are precious in Gods eyes (Psalms 116:15). When a righteous man dies he enter into peace (Isaiah 57:2) and into eternal life(Matthew 25:46)and will fear no evil(Psalms 23:4), he has a hope in his death(Proverbs 14:32).

Few righteous man in bible are Abraham( Genesis 25:8 Then Abraham gave up the ghost, and died in a good old age , an old man, and full of years; and was gathered to his people. Isaac(Genesis 35:29 And Isaac gave up the ghost, and died, and was gathered unto his people, being old and full of days: and his sons Esau and Jacob buried him) Moses(Deuteronomy 34:5 So Moses the servant of the LORD died there in the land of Moab, according to the word of the LORD) Jacob(Genesis 49:33 And when Jacob had made an end of commanding his sons, he gathered up his feet into the bed, and yielded up the ghost, and was gathered unto his people).

When unrighteous man dies: God has no pleasure in the death of a wicked person but desires them to turn from their wicked ways so that they can live (Ezekiel 33:11). (Ezekiel 18:32).The wicked and unrighteous man dies in their sins (John 8:21)without hope(Proverbs 11:7).Their death will be sudden and unexpected(Proverbs 29:1) and their remembrance shall perish from the earth(Job 18:17, Proverbs 10:7).

Eg. Of few unrighteous men in the bible are Herod, Judas Iscariot, and Jezebel

Types of heaven: The FIRST heaven is the atmosphere or sky that surrounds the earth.

The SECOND heaven is the physical universe that has stars, planets and so on.

The THIRD heaven is where God and his throne resides. Scriptures say that Jesus Christ went to the Third Heaven (2 Corinthians 12:2-4) to prepare paradise for His Elect.

Elijah and Enoch are in heaven: scriptures say that the believer in Christ is escorted by angels at death to a place of peace .By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him. (Hebrews 11:5)

And Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him (Gen 5:24).

And it came to pass, as they still went on, and talked, that, behold, there appeared a

Chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven. (2 Kings 2:11)

John 3:13 says that no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven.

Soul sleep is unbiblical: Death is described as sleep. There are many scriptures to say that people who die are conscious in Heaven. Jesus Christ said to his disciples that Lazarus had fallen asleep (John 11:11, 14). Stephen’s death is described as falling asleep (Acts 7:59). Paul describes Christians who had died in Thessalonica as “asleep” (1 Th 4:13). In the Old Testament, we are told that David “slept with his fathers” (1 Kings 2:10).

Ephesians 3:14-15: For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named. There are many scriptures that Challenge the Concept of Soul Sleep such as Genesis 35:18 Luke 16:19-31,Luke 23:43,John 11:25-26 ,1 Peter 3:18-19 ,Revelation 6:9-10.

The soul leaves the body at death: The souls of the unrighteous go to a place of eternal torment until the Last Day and The souls of the righteous go to be with the Lord in Paradise (Phil 1:22, 2 Cor 5:6-8)

Jesus tells us in Mathew 10:28 that the soul survives death, even though someone may kill the body. Jesus soul did not remain in his dead body. The Gospels tell us that at the moment of his death, Jesus prayed, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!” and then he yielded up his spirit (Luke 23:46; Mt 27:50) .Acts 7:59-60 describes Stephens death: “And as they were stoning Stephen, he called out, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” And falling to his knees he cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” And when he had said this, he fell asleep. Luke 16:19-31

Bible says souls can die:

Ezekiel 18:4: Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sinneth, it shall die.

Acts 2:27: Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.

Acts 3:23: And it shall come to pass, that every soul, which will not hear that prophet, shall be destroyed from among the people.

Psalm 55:18: He has redeemed my soul in peace from the battle that was against me, For there were many against me.

James 5:20: Let him know, that he who converts the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.

Psalm 16:10 For You will not leave my soul in Sheol, Nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption.

Matthew 10:28, “And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul .But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.”

Soul sleep is biblical: People who are dead lie in the grave and know nothing, think no thoughts, have no emotions, possess no consciousness and are waiting for the resurrection. When we die we don’t immediately go to heaven or hell for we sleep in the grave until the awaiting of the resurrection of the dead. There are many Scriptures say about soul sleep: some of them are Job 14:10 ,Job 14:14 ,Psalm 6:5 ,Psalm 49:15 ,Daniel 12:2 ,John 5:28-29 ,John 3:13 ,Acts 2:29-34 ,2 Peter 3:4

The Scripture says the dead will sleep in the dust of the earth (Psalm 13:3) and sleep the sleep of death (Deut 12:1-2) and they shall not awake, nor be raised out of their sleep(Job 14:12)”unto the coming of the Lord” (1 Thess 4:13-15). Further John 5:28-29 says, “Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.” Ecclesiastes 9:5 makes clear that for the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten.

Few will be able to enter to heaven: Scriptures say that many are called but few are chosen. (Mathew 22:14).Heaven is meant for those who are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life. (Revelation 21:27) and the names of saints are written in heaven(Luke 10:20) .In order to go to heaven .we must believe Jesus Christ ( John 11:26) shed His precious blood, died, was buried, and rose again 3 days later. We need to be born of water and of the Spirit and get baptized into Christ for the remission of sins (Acts 2:38) and strive to enter the straight gate(Luke 13:23-24) by being obedient to the will of God(John 14:15) and living holy and blameless before him(Ephesians 1:4).

Matthew 7:21-23 :“Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.” And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.”

Conclusion: Repent, Believe & Live for JESUS.

Homeless for the Holidays – How To Love The Poor

Though few like to admit it, a catastrophic illness or other major setback can leave anyone on the brink of homelessness. And, features like this shows that many homeless are families with nowhere to turn.

What is the key to helping such people?

Many try to blame or credit the policies of one party of another, but Jesus said “The poor you will always have with you.” This doesn’t mean that they will be poor on purpose. This just means that in this fallen, sinful world, circumstances will not be rosy for everyone. Jesus was exhorting us to care for the poor and love them as His disciples loved Him.

When we look at Matthew 26:7-12, in fact, we see in the context that a woman had come with a box of ointment, and poured it onto the Lord. (Note that this was *not* the same woman who wiped His feet with her tears. This woman was in a totally different situation and poured the box on His head to boot.)

She was criticized and it was mentioned that the box, full of a very special and expensive ointment, could have been sold and the money given to the poor. Jesus then remarked that the poor would always be with us. Further, He said that she had done this in preparation for His burial, as He was soon to be crucified for our sins, taking our punishment, dying, and then rising from the dead. She had done this to show her love for the Savior.

When Jesus says that we will have the poor with us always, but we will not have Him always, He is not saying to sell everything and give to the poor, though that is one option if a person feels led to do so. He is also not saying that things of value are what the poor are seeking. That is looking only at the outside, at the box this woman had.

God wants us to look upon the heart, though – that is where He always looks. And, it is on the heart of this woman that Jesus wants us to look. Because, in seeing how she loved Him, we can see how we ought to love and help those who are homeless – or just really poor.

It is most important to give them hope. Yes, soup kitchens are wonderful, and most churches that follow Christ and seek to make a difference in their community will provide some kind of help for the poor. It may not be a soup kitchen, it may be something else. The key is, it will be something that will not only minister to the peoples’ physical needs, but to their spiritual.

A number of Proverbs and other Biblical sayings mirror the concept of this famous saying – “Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day; teach a man to fish and he will eat for a lifetime.” Jesus certainly gave people fish and other great things – He healed the sick, cleansed lepers, raised the dead, and many other great miracles. Peoples’ physical needs were met. That was wonderful. It was satisfying for a while. But,t he 5,000 who were fed the loaves and fish wound up hungry again. Lazarus, who was called out of the tomb, died again. And so on.

Jesus called people to receive His spiritual blessings, though. He wanted people to recognize that they had needs which went beyond the physical. He wanted people to do as the woman at the well in John 4, when He told her He had water springing up into everlasting life, a well which would never run dry. This woman responded, “Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not, neither come here to draw.” (John 4:15) While she was still focused a little on her physical needs, she was starting to realize that there was also a deep longing in her.

So, you may ask, what does this have to do with the poor or the homeless?

These are not just people who have no money or homes. The poor and the homeless are people with a deep longing for something better. If we ignore or scold them, we are making them feel worse. If we only give them nourishment or a gift, they will be satisfied for a while, but they will feel empty again, just like the woman at the well had to come to draw water each day. By providing hope for them, however, we can truly shower that love upon them that Jesus wants us to shower upon them. The riches which will matter the most go beyond the mere cost of an alabaster box of ointment.

Some will complain that there are people who use the system and are poor on purpose. There are a few of them, but that doesn’t mean all are like that. But, let’s look at them for a moment. They are that way for the same reason he woman at the well in John 4 kept going after different men; she’d had five husbands and the man she was with now was not her husband. Jesus didn’t condemn her, though – he went to her to provide her with something better.

Those who misuse the system are like the Samaritan woman with her men when she hadn’t experienced the unconditional love and goodness that comes from a personal relationship with jesus Christ. There is a God-sized hole in each of our hearts that only Jesus can fill. He showed her the way to let Him – who is the way, the truth, and the life – work in her heart so she could follow Him and be an example of Jesus to others in what she did and how she behaved. In the same way, those who misuse the system need to be shown, in a loving way, how serving the Lord is so much more fulfilling, because they can earn for themselves treasures in heaven. They need to be shown it’s worth it, and encouraged to become more productive.

However, the main thing we must be concerned with is those who are not poor by choice. Because, as noted in the beginning, there are many like that. They have likely tried, some given up hope. We don’t know which someone is, so we should presume that the poor person is trying. By showing them the love that Jesus has for them, we are giving them hope, which as noted, is the main thing.

For each group, of course, the adage applies that we should not only give them a fish, but where applicable teach them to fish. However, merely teaching them to fish, so to speak, isn’t enough to truly restore hope to them.

All of us have sinned, and come short of the glory of God. We are all poor in our lack of a relationship with Christ until the moment when we call out to Him, “Lord, save me.” Just as the many poor, diseased, and so on called on Jesus in His earthly ministry, each of us must realize we need His perfect gift of salvation.

Rich and poor alike, then, must recognize that God has a plan for their lives, a plan which first of all includes them letting him make them new on the inside, cleansing their sins through His finished work on the cross. Then, they will not be building treasures on earth, where moth and rust can corrupt, and thieves can steal; they will be building treasures in Heaven, where moth and rust cannot corrupt and thieves can’t steal. Where our treasure is, there is where our heart will be also. (Matthew 6:19-21)

That plan is not just to get them to Heaven, though – He wants to help each of us believers right here on earth to get throughh everything and to feel His love and closeness all the time when we remain close to Him.

Part of that personal relationship is being able to take all our cares and concerns to Him. He wants to help us through this world becasue that is how we can show others what He has done for us so they can have that peace and comfort. The old say is that we’re just beggars teling other beggars where to find bread.

By showing them how to follow Jesus, then, we are helping the poor, the homeless, and so on to realize they don’t have to despair about their situation. They don’t have to keep waiting for a handout and thinking this is all there is. They don’t have to fret thinking that if they don’t find something they’re a failure. Because, you know what? If they are only going for something in this life, they are going for something that will get old, wear out, and so on; something that will not last forever the way Heavenly treasures will.

That makes them just the same as the rich. If they are only focusing on a small shack, they are in the same position as the rich person only focusing on a million dollar home. They are focusing on an investment which will not last. Whether we have $1 or $1 billion when we die, we will all answer to God. And, what He will ask is this – Were your sins washed away by the blood of Calvary’s cross? Did you call on Jesus to save you with something like this – “Lord Jesus, I know I’m a sinner and don’t deserve Your perfect heaven. But, I know You died for my sins and rose from the dead. Lord Jesus, I accept You as my Savior, I turn from my sins and call on You to come into my heart and save me. I believe you took all the punishment for my sins and and I trust in You alone to get me to heaven when I die. I Jesus’ name, Amen.”

The words aren’t what saves you, of course, it’s Jesus who saves when you call on him.

But what you might be asking is, how will this help the poor and homeless now? Well, remember that Jesus didn’t just tell people to follow Him, He gave them things, too. But, that giving needs to be with an attitude of, “Just as I am giving you this physical thing, be it food, clothing, or whatever, Jesus has something spiritual that is special for you.” People will be much more likely to listen if we give a thing with our message.

Or, at the very least, if we give a kind ear, so that person can tell about the spouse who took all they had, or the cancer, or the house fire, or the lost job. Then, they will see that someone cares about them and who they are inside.

Then, we can show them Matthew 6:33 and the verses before it. How that if they seek first the Kingdom of God, and His righteousness, all these things will be added unto them; the things Jesus is talking about in the previous verses are necessities, like food, clothing, and shelter. They may mean a job for someone. They might mean a friend. Whatever that need is, Jesus can meet it, but he wants them to realize His love and Lordshp It is Jesus who provides us all with every need, it is ultimately His love that lets us have whatever we have.

And, that is true of rich and poor alike. Some people are in a position to do moer for Him. But, the peson who is in the center of His will – whether that will is for them to be rich or poor – is in the safest place they can be. Because, he wants us all to tell others of His great love and the great hope which is in Christ Jesus; a hope that is there for everyone, which we celebrate this time of year.

Thanksgiving…

ThanksgivingKnow that the LORD is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates (presence) with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the LORD is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.  Psalm 100:3-5

You are my God, and I will praise you; you are my God, and I will exalt you. Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever.  Psalm 118:28-29

Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.  Colossians 3:16-18

AMEN!!!

Happy Thanksgiving to all my friends. Mark