"Ye cannot serve the Lord." (Joshua 24:19)
Have you the slightest reliance on anything other than God? Is there a remnant of reliance left on any natural virtue, any set of circumstances? Are you relying on yourself in any particular in this new proposition which God has put before you? That is what the probing means. It is quite true to say - "I cannot live a holy life," but you can decide to let Jesus Christ make you holy. "Ye cannot serve the Lord God"; but you can put yourself in the place where God's almighty power will come through you. Are you sufficiently right with God to expect Him to manifest His wonderful life in you?
"Nay, but we will serve the Lord." It is not an impulse, but a deliberate commitment. You say - But God can never have called me to this, I am too unworthy, it can't mean me. It does mean you, and the weaker and feebler you are, the better. The one who has something to trust in is the last one to come anywhere near saying - "I will serve the Lord."
We say - "If I really could believe!" The point is - If I really will believe. No wonder Jesus Christ lays such emphasis on the sin of unbelief. "And He did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief." If we really believed that God meant what He said - what should we be like! Dare I really let God be to me all that He says He will be?
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
WHAT ARE YOU MADE OF?
“….. And they (the world) shall know that ye are my disciples by the LOVE ye have, one to another….” (Direct quote from Jesus Christ)
What is it that separates us from the world? What is it that sets Christians apart from other world religions, other man-made denominations and the people of the world? I am glad you asked this question. Let me tell you what the Bible says is the difference
UNSELFISH, SELF-SACRIFICING, NOTHING TO BE GAINED BY IT ---LOVE!
There is a poison in the body of Christ today, one of many, that is a gospel of selfishness. We celebrate going to heaven, why? Because we are going to get something out of it. We brag about our street of gold, mansion just over the hilltop, and our own little spot of land there. I wonder how many of us would still fight, claw and scratch our way on to heaven right now, if all you were going to get was a chair and some time with Jesus? Take away all the bells and whistles heaven has to offer, ask yourself, would you still want to go? Be honest.
There is another poison preached by big time TV preachers, and many small time pastors, that says; “Give and it will be given to YOU, do this and YOU shall prosper”. It is a gospel all about me. What can I get if I pray today? What will I receive if I tithe to my local church, a blessing? What will God give me if I raise my hand and praise him while praise and worship music is going? If I help someone today, will it benefit me?
How many of us are guilty of selfish motivation? How many times do we do something nice or nothing at all because the benefit to us is what is important? Jesus told us in his word that the difference is not how many times you give words of prophecy, how many gifts of the Holy Ghost you possess, but how much unconditional, unselfish love do you show to everyone, even the people who do not deserve it!
God is looking for someone, who will begin to do this. Check your motivation today. Ask the spirit of God to check you, and show you how to walk in this love today. Remember, love is useless if it is not given, if it is not shown, if it is not put into action to someone. I promise you, if you begin to walk in this love, the presence of God almighty will begin to flood your life, more than you could ever imagine, God be praised! Show someone this love today.
What is it that separates us from the world? What is it that sets Christians apart from other world religions, other man-made denominations and the people of the world? I am glad you asked this question. Let me tell you what the Bible says is the difference
UNSELFISH, SELF-SACRIFICING, NOTHING TO BE GAINED BY IT ---LOVE!
There is a poison in the body of Christ today, one of many, that is a gospel of selfishness. We celebrate going to heaven, why? Because we are going to get something out of it. We brag about our street of gold, mansion just over the hilltop, and our own little spot of land there. I wonder how many of us would still fight, claw and scratch our way on to heaven right now, if all you were going to get was a chair and some time with Jesus? Take away all the bells and whistles heaven has to offer, ask yourself, would you still want to go? Be honest.
There is another poison preached by big time TV preachers, and many small time pastors, that says; “Give and it will be given to YOU, do this and YOU shall prosper”. It is a gospel all about me. What can I get if I pray today? What will I receive if I tithe to my local church, a blessing? What will God give me if I raise my hand and praise him while praise and worship music is going? If I help someone today, will it benefit me?
How many of us are guilty of selfish motivation? How many times do we do something nice or nothing at all because the benefit to us is what is important? Jesus told us in his word that the difference is not how many times you give words of prophecy, how many gifts of the Holy Ghost you possess, but how much unconditional, unselfish love do you show to everyone, even the people who do not deserve it!
God is looking for someone, who will begin to do this. Check your motivation today. Ask the spirit of God to check you, and show you how to walk in this love today. Remember, love is useless if it is not given, if it is not shown, if it is not put into action to someone. I promise you, if you begin to walk in this love, the presence of God almighty will begin to flood your life, more than you could ever imagine, God be praised! Show someone this love today.
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
THE EYES OF LOVE
The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love.
(Psalm 103:8)
(excerpt from the upper room series)
I am an optimist; I assume the best of people. In fact, I see the bright side so often that I'm accused of wearing rose-colored glasses. It isn't true that looking at the world positively is a way to avoid facing reality. I am very realistic; I know evil exists. But I try to filter my view through the eyes of love.
Does this attitude set me up for pain and disappointment? Sometimes. However, I believe God looks at me through rose-colored glasses; God continually gives me the benefit of the doubt. God knows my mean thoughts, jealous tendencies, and lazy attitudes. God sees me yell at my son, lose patience at work, snap at my husband, and show indifference to the needy. In spite of my misdeeds, God looks at me with eyes of love. God is not blind to our sins but forgives us when we ask. As I view the world and its great potential, my attitude enables me to look with greater compassion. Following God's example, when hurts come I find it easier to forgive the people who hurt me.
(Psalm 103:8)
(excerpt from the upper room series)
I am an optimist; I assume the best of people. In fact, I see the bright side so often that I'm accused of wearing rose-colored glasses. It isn't true that looking at the world positively is a way to avoid facing reality. I am very realistic; I know evil exists. But I try to filter my view through the eyes of love.
Does this attitude set me up for pain and disappointment? Sometimes. However, I believe God looks at me through rose-colored glasses; God continually gives me the benefit of the doubt. God knows my mean thoughts, jealous tendencies, and lazy attitudes. God sees me yell at my son, lose patience at work, snap at my husband, and show indifference to the needy. In spite of my misdeeds, God looks at me with eyes of love. God is not blind to our sins but forgives us when we ask. As I view the world and its great potential, my attitude enables me to look with greater compassion. Following God's example, when hurts come I find it easier to forgive the people who hurt me.
Monday, July 6, 2009
WHAT IS TRUTH?
Truth, this is a very volatile subject. It has been the reason behind wars, killings, divorces, most anything you can imagine. What is truth? Why is it so important?
The Bible records that many will fall away from being able to make it to heaven, and receiving the Anti-Christ and his mark because they had not LOVE for the truth! Not that they hated truth itself, but the love of wanting, knowing and receiving the truth they did not want. Only the pleasures and treasures the world had to offer.
Let me give you a common trait about truth. You can be in a room full of people, 2/3rd’s of these people will be agreeing together on one subject, and then there is this small minority, maybe even just one or two people, who are speaking a different tune, saying something totally different. It always seems to be the small group, the ones with the unthought-of version, the small minority that is carrying the truth.
So it was in Jeremiah the prophet’s day. Many prophets spoke to the king words that were kind and prosperous. Words that he wanted to hear. But God has always had a Jeremiah, a small lone voice, speaking the real truth. God will have in this last day a small band of believers that will not be afraid to stand against all the other voices saying something different. If you want to know what truth is, it is the story the small band of misfits and rejects that the world has deemed throw-aways that will be carrying God’s message to mankind in these last days.
Why is truth so important? It is what will guide you in these last days thru all the confusion, delusion, and chaos to slam the sides of this earth. There will be killings, deaths, famine, disease like has never been on the face of this earth before! And it will be the truths that you have placed in your heart, believed to the very end, which God has given you, that will guide you, keep you, strengthen you thru to the end, and Jesus’ return. I ask you, who are you listening too?
Are you playing it safe, listening to the multitude of voices, the big crowd, saying the peaceful, prosperous, nice words? Or will you dare to listen to the misfits, the small band of believers, warning you of the coming storm? Make your choice now. God has the door open to get on one side or the other, and which side you choose now, you WILL stay on till the end. I hope you make the right choice today.
The Bible records that many will fall away from being able to make it to heaven, and receiving the Anti-Christ and his mark because they had not LOVE for the truth! Not that they hated truth itself, but the love of wanting, knowing and receiving the truth they did not want. Only the pleasures and treasures the world had to offer.
Let me give you a common trait about truth. You can be in a room full of people, 2/3rd’s of these people will be agreeing together on one subject, and then there is this small minority, maybe even just one or two people, who are speaking a different tune, saying something totally different. It always seems to be the small group, the ones with the unthought-of version, the small minority that is carrying the truth.
So it was in Jeremiah the prophet’s day. Many prophets spoke to the king words that were kind and prosperous. Words that he wanted to hear. But God has always had a Jeremiah, a small lone voice, speaking the real truth. God will have in this last day a small band of believers that will not be afraid to stand against all the other voices saying something different. If you want to know what truth is, it is the story the small band of misfits and rejects that the world has deemed throw-aways that will be carrying God’s message to mankind in these last days.
Why is truth so important? It is what will guide you in these last days thru all the confusion, delusion, and chaos to slam the sides of this earth. There will be killings, deaths, famine, disease like has never been on the face of this earth before! And it will be the truths that you have placed in your heart, believed to the very end, which God has given you, that will guide you, keep you, strengthen you thru to the end, and Jesus’ return. I ask you, who are you listening too?
Are you playing it safe, listening to the multitude of voices, the big crowd, saying the peaceful, prosperous, nice words? Or will you dare to listen to the misfits, the small band of believers, warning you of the coming storm? Make your choice now. God has the door open to get on one side or the other, and which side you choose now, you WILL stay on till the end. I hope you make the right choice today.
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