ALWAYS BE READY

Acts 8:30-31 Philip ran over and heard the man reading from the prophet Isaiah, so he asked, "Do you understand what you're reading?"  The man replied, "How can I, when there is no one to instruct me?"  And he begged Philip to come up into the carriage and sit with him.  NLT

       There are several things that jump out at me from these verses.  Philip was an early church leader, an evangelist.  He went from town to town telling others about Jesus.  Philip was tuned into opportunities to be a witness for the Lord.  He was prompted by God to approach this eunuch who was in his chariot, reading from Isaiah.  Philip didn't know him, but he understood that this man was searching for understanding about God.

       It causes me to pause and wonder how attuned we are to the Lord.  Are we aware of those about us who are searching for the Lord?  Are we busy telling others about Him?  Or, are we so caught up into living that we don't seize or take the opportunities the Lord gives us to be a witness for Him?

       This man did not know the Lord, but he was looking in the right place; he was reading the Scriptures.  There is no better place to look for the Lord than in His Word.  We need to do it for ourselves and we need to encourage others to do it as well.  God does not hide himself in His Word; they testify of Him from beginning to end.

      This man did not understand what he was reading.  He was reading from Isaiah and he invited Philip to sit down with him and help him to understand.  It's not always that easy; in fact, it seldom is.  But, Philip was ready.  He was well-versed in the Scriptures and could explain to the eunuch what Isaiah had written.  We discover that as Philip explained Isaiah's prophecy to him, that the eunuch believed and was baptized. 

      May the Lord help us to be equally well-versed in the Scriptures so that when we have the opportunity we too can readily be a witness for Him.  Someone's soul may very well be in the balance.  Study well the Scriptures so that you can be a workman that needs not be ashamed when someone searching for Jesus crosses your path.

HONORED IN HEAVEN

Acts 7:56 And he told them, "Look, I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing in the place of honor at God's right hand!"  NLT

       Stephen was being stoned to death because of his stand for Christ.  He had just witnessed to God's past and present workings amongst God's people.  He was a strong follower of Christ and unashamed of it.  He was recognized in the Church as a godly man and servant of the Lord.  He was not popular among those who would not accept Christ as being the promised Messiah.

       As he was dying, Stephen looked up to heaven and he saw Jesus.  This was the first recorded instance where we find Jesus standing in heaven.  He normally was sitting at His rightful place at the right hand of God on His throne.  I believe that the Lord was giving Stephen a standing ovation for being the first martyr of the faith. 

      I wonder how many of us are being honored in heaven today because of our faith.  I wonder how much honor we are being given in heaven.  In order to receive honor from the Lord, we must live honorable lives before Him and man.  If we live consistently lives of righteousness, it honors the Lord.  If we are not ashamed of the Gospel and our Lord and witness for Him whenever we have the chance without regard for the consequences, we are honored in heaven.  If we live holy lives, we are being honored in heaven.  If we live solely by faith, we are being honored in heaven.  If Jesus is Lord of our lives, we are being honored in heaven.

      We may not get a standing ovation from the Lord, but we will be greeted at heaven's doors by our Lord and He will say unto the faithful, "Well done, good and faithful servant.  Enter now into the kingdom of your Lord."  If the Lord finds us faithful, great will be our reward in heaven.

NOT ONE CHURCH

Acts 4:32 All the believers were of one heart and mind, and they felt that what they owned was not their own, they shared everything they had.  NLT

      One of the greatest problems in the Church today is that we are so divided and fragmented.  We are weak because we are not united in Christ.  There are so many different kinds of church bodies to choose from, each with their own agenda.  We isolate ourselves from one another because we think and worship differently.  We are suspicious of those who are not like us.  We become jealous of each other and often compete for the souls of man.  We sometimes get critical and nasty towards those we disagree with.  We have lost any sense of oneness.

      The early Church was not like what we have become.  They were of one heart and mind.  They sincerely cared for each other and sought their common good.  They were a people who understood that their very existence was centered in Christ alone.  They understood that they existed to honor and serve Him.  They were a focused people and did not let their differences divide them. 

      While it is humanly impossible for the Church to overcome all of our differences and become one once again, we can do a much better job of it.  Let us strive to rally ourselves around the foot of the cross.  Let us strive to make and keep Jesus the main reason why we exist.  Let us seek to the best of our ability to get along and cooperate with those whom we may disagree with on minor points of faith. 

      The world is frantically running straight to hell and we seemly are not concerned enough to stop our internal bickering to work together for Jesus’ sake to reach as many of the lost as we can for Him.  Are you part of the problem or part of the solution?

       We are not one Church, and we won’t be until Jesus comes to take us home.  But that doesn’t excuse us from trying to get along and work together for the glory and honor of Christ and the salvation of souls.

COMPELLED TO TELL

Acts 4:19-20  But Peter and John replied, "Do you think God wants us to obey you rather than him?  We cannot stop telling about the wonderful things we have seen and heard."  NLT

      What do you think?  Do you think God wants you to obey Him or man?  The answer is obvious; we must obey God.  The problem comes in when what God dictates conflicts with what man dictates.  The two often do conflict and to not obey man can create some very difficult, and even bad, consequences.  If we truly want to honor and please the Lord, we must be willing to face whatever consequences our obeying God would create.  We have to answer to God on Judgment Day, not man.

      Rarely do we find that man's ways are fully in line with God's ways.  The mind of man does not always comprehend the mind of God.  The heart of man is not always in line with God's heart.  Thus when laws are made by man, there is bound to be conflicts.  It is our responsibility to develop Biblically minded minds so that we can recognize when man's laws are not in agreement with God's laws.  We must be into the Word of God consistently enough to recognize when we must disobey man's laws in order to obey God's laws, regardless of the consequences it may cause.  What happens when we become Biblically minded is we become so enamored by Christ that we cannot disobey God.

       Are you to the point where you just can't help yourself, that you just have to obey God?  Is your faith such a part of you that you do not compromise God's laws for anyone, regardless of personal cost?  If not, get into the Word of God until it gets in you and takes hold of you.  Get into your prayer closet until Christ rubs off on you.  Live life to the fullest in Christ and you won't be able to stop telling others about the wonderful things Christ is doing in you.

A BOLD, SEEN FAITH

Acts 4:13 The members of the council were amazed when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, for they could see that they were ordinary men who had had no special training. They also recognized them as men who had been with Jesus. NLT

        Is anyone amazed by your bold faith?  Can others see that you have been with Jesus? 

       Most of us are not very bold when it comes to our faith.  We don't hide it when we are with like-minded people, but when we are with people who don't share our faith, we aren't apt to make it known that we are believers in Christ.  There are many reasons why we tend to not be vocal about our faith.  Taking our faith outside of Christian circles is just hard for most people to do.

      Yet, we must examine ourselves and consider whether or not we are indeed in love with the Lord as we should be.  If we are not comfortable with making our faith known publicly, can we really say we love the Lord?  Hiding our faith goes against what the Lord tells us we must do.  He said that we are to let our lights shine in the world.  The Word reminds us over and over again that if we truly love the Lord we will be known by our love through our actions. 

      When we are with Jesus like we should be, others will know it.  The glory of Christ is reflected in those who spend adequate time with Him.  This means that we spend sufficient time alone with the Lord.  We spend enough time to wait before Him to hear from Him.  We wait before Him in worship, letting Him flood our souls with His love and grace.  We wait before Him until we are ready to face the world.  Spending time with Jesus is a priority and not an afterthought in those who reflect Him in such a way that others can readily see Him in them.

       People you know need to see Jesus through you.  You may very well be the difference maker in their lives.  You may be the key to whether or not they will know Jesus as their Savior and Lord.

      Hide it under a bushel?   NO.  Let it shine wherever you go until Jesus comes.  Someone’s eternal soul may very well be at stake. 

        “Lord, I ask that you forgive us for those times that we have hidden our faith out of fear of what others may think or because it just wasn’t convenient for us at the time to make it known.  Forgive us for those times we have missed where someone needed to see our living faith.  Please give us the boldness to let our lights shine wherever we go.  In Jesus’ name.  Amen.”

PASSION FOR JESUS

Acts 4:13 The members of the council were amazed when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, for they could see that they were ordinary men who had had no special training. They also recognized them as men who had been with Jesus.  NLT

       This verse has always challenged me.  I want to be like Peter and John.  I want others who see and know me to know that I have been with Jesus.  I want to be so connected to the Lord that there is no mistake about it in how I live.

        Notice that it wasn’t their education that made Peter and John stand out.  If anything, their lack of education would be noticed.  They were ordinary men, fishermen by trade.  They had no pedigree that would get them noticed.  They would have been scarcely noticed, especially by those who were educated and in seats of authority.  Peter and John were just common people, just like most of us.  Yet, there was something quite noticeable about them.

       Peter and John stood out from the crowd because they oozed the life of Jesus.  They were not impressed by the Jewish leaders.  They did not hold back their witness because of who they were with.  They boldly proclaimed Christ to all they could.  Why?  They were passionately committed to Christ.  They knew He was indeed God who had come in human flesh.  They knew that He alone was the way to heaven and they were driven by their compassion for the lost.  They had the heart of God for others and were not willing that any would be lost.  They boldly proclaimed the Gospel message so that as many people as possible would hear it and perhaps be saved.

      Are we as driven by our love for Christ as Peter and John were?  Are we telling as many people as possible about our salvation?  If not, why not?  Isn’t the soul of man far more important than anything else in life? 

       If you find yourself not caring enough about the lost souls of others, I implore you to fall on your knees before God and stay there until He changes your heart. 

       When you look into the mirror of your soul, can you see Jesus?  If you have trouble seeing Jesus in you, what do you think others see?  If Jesus cannot be readily be seen, you need to get things right with God before you drift any farther away.

TIME WITH JESUS

Acts 4:13 The members of the council were amazed when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, for they could see that they were ordinary men who had no special training. They also recognized them as men who had been with Jesus.  NLT

       Today' verse can either encourage or discourage us. The reality is that it shows whether we have been with Jesus or not. The more we are with Him and linger in His presence, the more He rubs off on us. If we fail to draw near to Him for any length of time, our sinful nature takes over and we act like it. It's that simple.

       You cannot live a godly life and avoid Jesus in your life. You must spend quality time with Him on a consistent basis. You must linger in His presence to worship Him and learn from Him. You must love Him more than you do anything or anyone else in your life, including yourself.

       The issue before us today is, "How much time do you spend hanging out with Jesus?"  Your life reflects the truth. If you dare, ask your spouse, children, close friends, or co-workers if they can tell if you've been with Jesus or not. Let their response guide you as to whether or not you need to linger longer in His presence.

YOU ARE A WITNESS

Acts 1:8 "But when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, you will receive power and will tell people about me everywhere---in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.."  NLT

       Sermons have been preached on this verse. Whatever may be said has probably already been said many times. However, there are a couple of things I would like to remind us of today. One, is that the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives affects our lives. There is power from God that comes upon us when He is in us. This power has a two-fold effect on us: it moves us into godliness and it moves us into action. You cannot have Christ without His Spirit and you cannot have His Spirit without changing.

       Another thing to note is that we are witnesses for Christ whether we recognize it or not. If you are a child of God today, your life is a witness for Him. Your life reflects His life. You are either a good witness or a bad witness, depending on how you are living.

       People are noticing what kind of a witness you are. It begins at home and spreads out from there. The lives you interact with are being influenced either for or against Christ because of you. You can't avoid it.

       If you want to make a difference for Christ in the world, it first begins at home with those who know you best. The farther away from home you get, the less likely it is that others will know you well and be affected by your living. However, you influence the most those who are watching you live out your faith in the daily grind of life.

       The Spirit of God is at work and wants to help you be a good witness for Christ. Are you co-operating with Him?

THE NOT SO EMPTY TOMB

John 20:3-8  Peter and the other disciple ran to the tomb to see.  The other disciple outran Peter and got there first.  He stooped and looked in and saw the linen cloth lying there, but he didn’t go in.  Then Simon Peter arrived and went inside.  He also noticed the linen wrappings lying there, while the cloth that had covered Jesus’ head was folded up and lying to the side.  NLT

      It has always intrigued me when I think about the linen cloths Jesus left behind in the tomb.  I believe that they were left there as a witness for His disciples.  Notice that the cloth that covered Jesus’ head was lying there folded up.  Whether Jesus folded it up or the angels doesn’t really matter.  The message was very clear, Jesus rose from the grave and in essence His bed was made when He got up.  Even though the Scriptures do not say anything about it, there must have been as well scattered on the floor the 75 pounds of burial spices they put His body in when they wrapped Him in his burial cloths.  However, it would not surprise me if it had been swept up in a neat little pile as well.

       God had planned the death and resurrection of Jesus before the foundation of the world was laid.  Everything had gone exactly as He had planned.  Jesus knew that His death on the cross was temporary, that He would rise from the grave three days later.  He absolutely had to die, but He also absolutely had to rise from the grave.  Without the resurrection His death would be meaningless.  

       Peter and John were the first disciples to see evidence of Jesus’ resurrection; they saw and knew that it had happened!  Jesus appeared to the rest of the disciples numerous times so that they too would have no doubt about it.  Paul tells us that there were over 500 people who bore witness of His resurrection before He went back to heaven to stay. 

        Yes indeed, Jesus is alive!!  He opened up the door to heaven for all who would believe.  Jesus did exactly what He said He would do and today He lives in the heart of all who believe.  Hallelujah!  What a Savior!

ONE IN CHRIST

John 17:20-21 "I am praying not only for these disciples but also for all who will ever believe in me because of their testimony. My prayer for all of them is that they will be one, just as you and I are one, Father---that just as you are in me and I am in you, so they will be in us, and the world will believe you sent me."  NLT

       It is Christ's prayer for us that we would all be one in Him. Christ does not want His children fighting amongst themselves. He does not want them to live in isolation from one another and competing for the lost. Christ does not want any of His children lording it over others. He does not want any of them to become proud of their position in life or to think that they are better than others because of what they may or may not understand about the Scriptures. Christ does not want any of His children to be judgmental or jealous of others in the family.

       Jesus prayed for us so that we would all be one in spirit. He wants us to get along and to support and encourage one another as we serve Him. He wants us to rally together in Him. It does not mean that we can't have our disagreements, but we can learn to agree to disagree agreeably so that we can work together in the harvest field for His honor and glory.

       The household of faith is easily divided. We must strive to fight the temptation to let our differences keep us from fellowship and fruitful service together. Jesus is praying for us. Will we let Him have His way with us?

       What do you need to do differently in order to be a part of the solution instead of the problem? How might you be a part of the answer to Jesus' prayer?

ASK HIM

John 16:23-24 “At that time you won’t need to ask me for anything. The truth is, you can go directly to the Father and ask him, and he will grant your request because you use my name. You haven’t done this before. Ask, using my name, and you will receive, and you will have abundant joy.”  NLT

       We live in a wonderful time.  We can go directly to God and talk to Him.  When Jesus died on the cross, He broke down the barrier that separated unholy man from our holy God.  He gave us access to God through His shed blood.  We do not need to be afraid to approach God.  In fact, God encourages us to do so.  Time and time again the Lord says to come to Him, to cast all our cares on Him, to linger with Him and have fellowship with Him. 

        Jesus promises that if we approach our Father in heaven through Him our prayers will be answered.  It is true because when we are in Jesus our hearts will be right with God.  We will want what He wants for us.  We will not be driven by selfish desires.  We will be one with Him in love and therefore what we ask for will not be contrary to His will for us.

      We deprive ourselves of so much that the Lord wants to give us and do for us because we don’t ask.  Ask for anything in and through Christ and our Father will grant it for us.  The Lord will always work in us to make our hearts joyful.  It is His desire to help us live with an abundance of joy.  In order to do that, He will sometimes have to change us so that we are lined up with His will for us because His will is always what is best for us.

        Jesus makes it possible for us to go directly to our Father in heaven and ask Him for anything in His name.  He will not disappoint us.  Anything asked for within the will of God for us will be given to us.

USING JESUS' NAME

John 16:23-24  "At that time you won't need to ask me for anything. The truth is, you can go directly to the Father and ask him, and he will grant your request because you use my name. You haven't done this before. Ask, using my name, and you will receive, and you will have abundant joy."  NLT

      We can go directly to our Heavenly Father and ask Him anything.  We do not need anyone to do it for us.  We have equal right and access to God as anyone else on earth does.  God has an open door policy and the welcome mat is always out. 

       Jesus did away with all that kept us from going directly to our Father.  He made us righteous through His shed blood at Calvary and all who let Him into their heart are able to approach God with confidence and boldness.  God answers the prayers of the righteous. 

       When we pray in the name of Jesus, things begin to happen.  The name of Jesus is the most powerful name in all of creation.  He is the King of kings and Lord of lords.  Before Him every knee shall bow in heaven and on earth.  He holds the key to life and death.  He created all things and all things were created for Him.  He is the indwelling fullness of God.  He is the only way to God.  He is absolute truth, righteousness and holiness.  He is the only source of eternal life and without Him the soul faces a godless eternity in hell.

       When we submit to Jesus and obey Him, God answers prayer.  He works all things out for our good according to His will for us.  He gives us much joy and peace as we pray and trust Him with our needs.  In Jesus' name bow before our Father in heaven, wait before Him, and pray.  He will take care of you and supply your every need.  You have His word on it.

LOVE AS JESUS LOVED

John 15:9-10  "I have loved you even as the Father has loved me.  Remain in my love.  When you obey me, you remain in my love, just as I obey my Father and remain in his love."  NLT

       Can anyone really know just how God loves Jesus?  All I know is that God is perfect in love.  We can't grasp how it is to be loved perfectly because we fall so far short of it.  We can grasp a little bit of what God's love is like when we observe how Jesus loved His disciples.  When we follow the lives of Jesus and His disciples over the span of the three years they were together, we see unconditional acceptance of them and a willingness to sacrifice himself for them.  Jesus did not love them only when they were agreeable and supportive.  He loved them no matter how they messed up or struggled in their understanding of Him.

        Jesus reminded them to remain in His love.  It's so easy to wander away from His love.  Whenever we start doing our own thing instead of what God tells us to do, we wander from His love.  Obeying the Lord is the key to staying in His love.  We can't say that we love Him when we don't do what He tells us to do.

       Jesus submitted himself to God's will.  In everything He sought to do what God sent Him to do.  He expects us to do the same thing.  We must submit ourselves to God's will for us always.  We must be willing to go, do and be what the Lord wants of us.  If we really love the Lord, it is the way we will live.

KEY TO ANSWERED PRAYERS

John 15:7-8  "But if you stay joined to me and my words remain in you, you may ask any request you like, and it will be granted!  My true disciples produce much fruit.  This brings great glory to my Father."  NLT

       Two things must happen on our part in order for God to do His part when we pray.  First we must stay joined with Christ and secondly, the Word of God must stay in us.  I think it would be well for us to consider how we might not stay connected with the Lord and keep His Word in our hearts.

      We lose our connection to Christ when we take our eyes off of Him and start focusing on the world or people.  When we become captivated by what is around us instead of who is over us, we get into trouble.  It takes determination and concentration to keep Christ in our lives.  It doesn't just happen.  We have to work diligently and hard to keep from being drawn away from Him. 

       We lose our connection as well whenever we fail to exercise our spiritual disciplines.  In order to think and act Biblically, we must stay in our Bibles.  We must read it and meditate on it regularly.  We must not let anything rob us of our needed time in the Word.  We must make our Bible time and prayer the main priority of our days, when we don't the world draws us away from the Lord and fills us with its ways of thinking and living.

       Jesus promises us that when we keep our souls connected and well fed, we can ask the Lord anything and it will be granted to us.  This is true because when we are properly connected, we will ask according to His will and not ours.  We will want what the Lord wants.  We will desire to please Him and will want to see His will done on earth, even as it is in heaven.  And, when all this happens, it brings much glory to God, our Father.

         And when God has a different answer to our prayers than we want or expect, we submit to His will with thanksgiving for our Father always knows what is best.

UNITED WITH CHRIST

John 15:5-8 "Yes, I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing. Anyone who parts from me is thrown away like a useless branch and withers. Such branches are gathered into a pile to be burned. But if you stay joined to me and my words remain in you, you may ask any request you like, and it will be granted! My true disciples produce much fruit. This brings great glory to my Father."  NLT

      The key to having a godly life is very simple, stay joined to Christ and let His words govern your heart. There is no other way. You cannot ignore or deny Christ's role in your life and be the person God will accept and be pleased with. Life without Christ in it is a deadly life. You cannot leave Christ alone and expect Him to not leave you alone. He only thrives in those who stay connected to Him.

       Jesus is the vine, we aren't. Life doesn't flow from us. It flows to us and through us. Don't ever get the idea that you are the center of your world.   Apart from Christ, we are nothing and can do nothing. We can't survive spiritually apart from Christ. Period. Reread Christ's words. The consequences of drifting away from Christ and going it alone can be deadly!

      When we stay grounded in Christ, it opens up the door to heaven for us. God hears and answers the prayers of those who are in Christ. There is nothing that our Father will withhold from you if you are letting Christ be Lord of your life.

      The end result of a life lived in Christ is that of a productive life. God uses those who are in Christ to impact the world for Christ. Your life truly does make a difference if you live in Christ. Stay connected to Christ and you will produce much fruit and you will be pleasing in the eyes of God.

PARTING WAYS

John 15:5-6  "Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches.  Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit.  For apart from me, you can do nothing.  Anyone who parts from me is thrown away like a useless branch and withers.  Such branches are gathered into a pile to be burned."  NLT

       Jesus made a very strong statement here.  He said that anyone who parts from Him is thrown away and cast into the fire.  Why would He make such a statement if it weren't true?  It is not for me to try and figure out those who would depart from Him.  All I know is what the Word says.  If anyone chooses to abandon their relationship with the Lord, they are no longer His children.  Those who part from Him are useless and they wither away and die. 

      On the other hand, those who remain in Christ produce much fruit because Christ is in them.  We don't always see the fruit we produce, but He does.  Sometimes others can see what we can't see.  And, sometimes we are able to see some of the fruit we produce.  If we are in Christ, we gladly do what we can and let Him be honored and glorified through us.  We don't focus on the fruit; we focus on Him.  It doesn't matter how much we see.  It doesn't matter if we see any at all.  All that matters is that Christ be seen in us.

      Be assured; if you are living in Christ you are producing much fruit.  Your life matters and what you do through Christ matters much to God.  Remain faithful to Him.  Continue to live in Christ and great will be your reward in heaven. Apart from Christ, the soul will spend eternity in hell with all those who reject Him as the resurrection and life.

REMAIN IN CHRIST

John 15:4  "Remain in me, and I will remain in you.  For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful apart from me."  NLT

       When I read this verse, the word that jumps out at me is remain.  Jesus said that in order for Him to remain in us, we must remain in Him.  I know there are different understandings of what this is saying, but taken at face value the message seems to be very clear.  We must remain in Christ.   

       Why would Jesus command us to remain in Him if there wasn't a possibility that we might not?  Staying in Christ is a decision we must make daily in our lives.  We must knowingly choose to live in relationship with Him.  We must strive to live lives that are pleasing to Him.  We must understand that apart from Him we are spiritually dead.  We cannot remain in fellowship with Him on our own.  Without a heart connection with Christ we will stumble and fall into sin. 

      Apart from Christ, we cannot produce anything good; we cannot do anything that is pleasing and acceptable to God.  Apart from Christ, we will produce no spiritual fruit.  Period.  We will produce fruit if we are living in Christ and if we aren't living in Christ we will be rejected by God.

       In order for us to remain in Christ, we must feed our souls consistently with the Word of God and spend time alone with Him in prayer.  We must be worshipers of Him and we must be servants of Him.  We must strive to apply to our living what we learn from Him.  We must desire Him more than anything else in our lives.

       Wandering away from Christ is easy.  It comes naturally for us.  Remaining in Christ requires much work from us.  It is a daily discipline we must do if we want to have life in Christ and to have it more abundantly.

PRODUCE OR DIE

ohn 15:1-2  "I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener.  He cuts off every branch that doesn't produce fruit, and he prunes the branches that do bear fruit so they will produce even more."  NLT

      This statement by the Lord has always challenged me.  I take it for what it says and it should cause us to stop and take a serious look at ourselves.

       God, our Father, is the gardener.  It is His to keep the vine (us) pruned and productive.  He carefully examines us and when He finds those who produce no fruit they are cut off.  However you take it, it challenges me.  God says what He means and means what He says.  Therefore, I have to conclude that if we don't produce spiritual fruit, we are cut off from the fellowship of God. 

        Now, what we have to consider is what is the fruit we are to produce?  We look at Gal. 5:22-23 and we are told what a person should be like when the Holy Spirit is in control of them.  Paul says that we who are in Christ have the Spirit as well and therefore we must show the fruit of the Spirit.  The fruit we are to produce is for the glory and honor of Christ.  We are to be like the Lord and it must show in how we live and talk.

        Those of us who do produce fruit are pruned by God so that they will produce even more fruit than they now do.  We need to constantly work on being better than we are in Christ.  We need to strive to grow in faith and knowledge. 

        Bottom line is, we are not saved to sit.  We are to be actively serving the Lord.  We are to honor the Lord in all we do.  We are to live for the Lord and not ourselves.  We are to listen to the Word, learn the Word, and live the Word.  If we don't do these things, God will not let us hang around with Him.  He will cut us off and make room for those who will live for Him. 

A NEW WAY TO LOVE

John 13:34 "So now I am giving you a new commandment. Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other."  NLT

       Jesus was right on the verge of Calvary. He was spending His last few hours on earth with His disciples in fellowship and teaching them those things that matter the most. He not only taught them about love, He demonstrated to them what He meant. He, the Son of God, knelt down before each of His disciples, Judas included, and washed their feet. Have you ever participated in a feet-washing service? I have. It is a humbling experience to have someone else kneel down before you and wash your feet. It is an act of love to both wash another person's feet, and to let them do it to you. If done properly, I believe such a service should be a part of every believer's worship experience sometime in their life.

      Jesus washed Judas' feet, knowing full well that it was Judas who was going to betray Him. He did not withhold from Judas His love.

      Jesus washed the disciples' feet knowing that in a few short hours He would be crucified for our sins and that He would do it all alone. He knew the disciples before whom He knelt would all desert Him in His hour of greatest need. He didn't wrap himself up in His own thoughts and emotions, but considered the needs of His disciples before He would leave them. Jesus knew that they needed to understand how to love each other unconditionally and sacrificially before He would leave them on their own. They needed a life lesson that they would not forget. He washed their feet.

       Like the disciples, we too need to learn what it means to love each other. So much of what passes as godly love is nothing more than lip service. We say we love each other, but often our actions betray us. Let us strive to always love as Jesus loves.

LOVE ONE ANOTHER

John 13:34-35  "So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other.  Just as I have loved you, you should love each other.  Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples."  NLT

       Everybody talks about love; we either have it and want everyone to know it, or we don't have it and want everyone to help us find it.  Love is important for our well-being.  Those who are deprived of it suffer greatly and usually take out their frustrations on others.  Many do not know how to handle being loved later on in life when they are denied it early in life.  Many are so starved for love that they behave out of the normally acceptable standards of social behavior in order to find it.

      God is love and made us with the need to love and be loved.  He showed us how to love by sending Jesus into the world to be our Savior.  Our Lord showed us how to love others.  He touched so many lives wherever He went.  He healed those who reached out to Him, both physically and spiritually.  He taught love.  He equated love with the identifying characteristic of His disciples.

      We are to love each other in the same way we are loved by God.  In order to do that we must first know what it is to be loved by God.  We can't act towards others in love if we don't experience first God's love.  And, if we don't act towards others with godly love, we are not His disciples.  We prove our love and relationship with God by our love for one another. 

       We can only know God’s love through Calvary.  It was love that kept Jesus on the cross, not the nails that held Him there.  It was God’s love that allowed Jesus to take upon himself our sin, its guilt, shame and condemnation.  It was love that drew salvation’s plan and it can only be known through the forgiveness of Jesus when we confess our sins to Him and accept what He did for us on the cross. 

      God loves you but you will never know His love apart from Jesus.

BELIEVE WHILE YOU CAN

John 12:35-36  "My light will shine out for you just a little longer.  Walk in it while you can, so you will not stumble when the darkness falls.  If you walk in the darkness, you cannot see where you are going.  Believe in the light while there is still time; then you will become children of the light."  NLT

       History tells us about the Dark Ages, a period of time in which most people were at their lowest, enslaved by the few.  It was a period of time that no one wants to ever go through again.  Spiritually speaking mankind has been in several Dark Ages.  We read in the Scriptures of periods of time in which wicked people ruled over God's people because they had forsaken Him.  God is merciful and raised up spiritual leaders to lead them back to Him, but it wasn't long and the cycle was repeated again. 

       In a lot of ways the Church is in the Dark Ages.  There is part of the Church that has forsaken Christ.  They no longer hold the Word of God as the authoritative voice of God over life.  Many deny that the Word is even the Word of God.  Many turn to other sources for their inspiration and guidance.  Many blatantly go against God's Word and declare it's fine because God is love and will not punish His people.

      There is coming an even worse Dark Age than mankind has ever known.  We are rapidly heading for it.  It will be a period of time in which the Church will no longer be around to squelch evil.  It will be a time in which very few people will survive spiritually.  It will be Satan's heyday on earth, but there will be an awful price to pay.  During those days God will mete out judgment on earth for the sin of mankind until the wrath of God is satisfied.  All that man knows will be destroyed and God will create a new heaven and earth.

       How long will it be before these things begin to happen?  We don't know, but we must walk in the light while the light is still shining on earth.  We must be sure that we live life God's way while we can.  We must hold in high regard God's Word and obey it.

      We must keep Christ as the head of our lives and the Church while we can.  If we don't, darkness will overcome us and we will face an eternity in hell. 

        Today is the day of salvation.  Believe while you can and serve the Lord while you can.  God is not slack concerning His promises; Judgment Day is coming for each of us and for the world we live in.

LOVE YOUR LIFE?

John 12:25  "Those who love their life in this world will lose it.  Those who despise their life in the world will keep it for eternal life."  NLT

      Do you like your life?  Do you like yourself?  If you could, would you change anything?  Before you answer the questions, take a look around you and compare yourself and life with others.  You will discover that there are those who have it a lot better than you do and there are those who have it a lot worse.  No matter what you may think of yourself or life, there are many who would gladly change places with you.  It is human nature to be dissatisfied with the way things are.  It is something that only the Lord can change in us.

      We are confined to this world.  This life is the only life we know.  We are ingrained with the thought that our contentment and happiness is based on how we fair in the world.  We live to accomplish or attain what the world offers.  Most base their self-worth by what this life is.

      Jesus makes it clear that when we base our worth on what this life is and live for what the world can offer us, we will lose what life really is.  Real life is eternal; it is the spirit of man that matters.  We are more than flesh and bones; we are spiritual beings and we will live on forever after we die.  When we invest ourselves only in this life, we will spend eternity in hell.  Those who ignore their souls will pay a huge price for it in eternity. 

       Only those who value their souls and invest it in Christ will escape hell and be in heaven after they die.  We must not cling to the world, but cling to Christ if we want to go to heaven.  We must hate what the world offers and love what God offers.  We can't have it both ways.  Those who are in Christ are sold out to Christ.  They live for Him and Him alone. 

LAZARUS CAME OUT

John 11:44 And Lazarus came out, bound in grave clothes, his face wrapped in a head cloth. Jesus told them, "Unwrap him and let him go!"  NLT

       Lazarus came out---not Moses, Elijah, Abraham, Levi, David, Joshua, Joseph, or any other who had died and was put in the grave. Lazarus came out. Why? Because Jesus had called his name. Jesus knew whom He wanted to see and called him. He has the authority over both life and death and if He had not called out specifically Lazarus's name, a multitude of others would have come out from the grave.

       By all rights, Lazarus would have been awful to be around by now. His body would have started to decay and the stench would have caused people to leave. He was wrapped in his grave clothes which would have caused people to run and hide. After all, wouldn't you have been a tad bit afraid if someone you knew had suddenly stood before you after he had died four days before and was in his grave clothes? When was the last time you had gone to a graveside service only to have the deceased open the casket and stand before you?

       Jesus told those gathered there to unwrap Lazarus and let him go. Lazarus was no longer among the dead because Jesus had given him life, just like He does to all who accept Him as their Savior. Lazarus was no longer subject to the illness that had killed him, Jesus had healed him and made him whole, just like He does to our souls when He heals us. Jesus set Lazarus free, just like He does for you and me.

        Hallelujah! What a Savior!