FAITH'S FOUNDATION IS WORSHIP

 

FAITH’S FOUNDATION IS WORSHIP

Heb. 13:15-16 With Jesus’ help, let us continually offer our sacrifices of praise to God by proclaiming the glory of his name….. NLT

Jesus is not only the way to God, He is the way to worship God. Anyone trying to approach God or worship Him apart from Christ will waste their time and energy. God is only approachable through the righteousness and holiness of Christ.

Notice first of all that we need Jesus’ help if we are going to properly worship God. Jesus told the Samaritan women in John 4 that the only way to worship God is in spirit and in truth. Jesus is God’s self-revelation. He is the focal point of all worship. He is the exalted one. All that God does in and through us is for the glory of Christ.

Notice as well that we are to continually offer to God our sacrifices of praise. Jesus must never be far from our thoughts. He is worthy of our continuous thoughts about Him. Phil. 4:8 We must never forget or take for granted what the Lord has done and is now doing in our lives. We see His handiwork in all He has created. Col. 1:15-17 He is the head of the church (18) and there is no other. He is the fullness of God in human form (19). Christ is the one, and only one, who can reconcile man with God (20). We must never get tired of singing forth His praises!

We must continuously bear forth fruit from our lips by proclaiming His name. Acts 4:12 proclaims the profound message all must hear—there is given no other name to man whereby we may be saved. In Romans 10, the Apostle Paul reminds us that no one can be saved if they don’t hear the message and that they can’t hear the message if no one tells them. We must never get tired of telling others or give up telling them; eternity is at stake.

In verse 16, we are told to continually remember to do good and share with others. In other words, put feet to your faith. It pleases God when we show love towards others and help them when we can with what we have.

Worship the Lord every day of your life. Focus on Jesus and praise His holy name. Honor Him by telling others about Him every chance you get. Honor the Lord by putting feet to your faith and reach out to help those in need.

FAITH'S FOUNDATION IS CHRIST

 

FAITH’S FOUNDATION IS CHRIST

Heb. 13:11-14

People put their faith in a lot of things in the hope of making it to heaven. Some think that if they try hard enough to be good that it will be good enough to get them in. Some try to buy their way in. Some chase after idols. Some follow certain people thinking they have all the answers. Some think that belonging to a certain church group will get them into heaven’s doors. Some rely upon past experiences. Some mouth certain words. Yet, the Bible is very clear. There is no way to get into heaven apart from a living relationship with Jesus. John 14:6 It’s not enough to believe that Jesus can save you, you must live daily like He has. I Cor. 1:30

In our text today, we are reminded that Jesus gives us the right to approach God. He alone stands between us and God. He is the door. John 10:1-21 He is our High Priest who ministers on our behalf before God. It is His blood offering that takes away our sins and appeases the wrath of God.

Jesus died to make us holy before God. Nothing else can make us holy. We can only approach God on the merits of Christ’s holiness. God commands us to be holy, even as He is holy. I Pet. 1:13-16 In other words, God commands us to come before Him through Christ alone. God is unapproachable without Christ living in us. A holy heart is not a given. We must constantly strive to remain holy. We must act and think in a way that keeps our holiness in tack. Phil. 4:8 It is the way of life for all who would approach God.

In verses 13-14, we are invited to enter into the presence of Christ. We are to flee to Calvary where Jesus died on the cross for our sins. We are to live under the flow of His life-changing blood. We are to let His blood wash away all our sins. I John 1:9

Jesus is the foundation upon which faith is built. All other ground is sinking sand. Keep your eyes fixed on Jesus, the author and finisher of our salvation. Heb. 12:1-3 Press on with Jesus until you enter into the heavenly city God has prepared for you to dwell in. Phil. 3:12-14

Don’t look behind you, and don’t look around you. Keep pressing on the upward way and new heights you will gain every day. Faith is always forward looking and living. Heaven is waiting for you if you remain faithful to the Lord.

FAITH'S FOUNDATION IS SURE

 

FAITH’S FOUNDATION IS SURE

Heb. 13:8-10

One of the absolutely profound declarations of the Scriptures is found in verse eight, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” People disappoint us. They often change. They sometimes fail us. But, Jesus never changes. He always has been, is now, and forever shall be the King of kings and Lord of lords.

Jesus whom God declared, “This is my beloved Son in whom I am well-pleased” has been given the name above every name and before whom every knee shall bow in heaven above and hell below. Phil 2:9 Jesus is the only name given amongst men whereby anyone can be saved. Acts 4:12

This same Jesus who was tempted in all points as we are yet was without sin, is without sin today, and never will sin. Isn’t that great news! Jesus can help us with our sin problem because He lived the life we do and yet never sinned.

This same Jesus once He had died on the cross for our sins rose from the dead and is today is heaven seated at God’s right hand to never die again. His sacrifice for our sins was God’s perfect solution for how we can be forgiven. There was nothing else to be done, “It is finished!”

This same Jesus alone has the authority and right to forgive us for our sins. His sacrifice was for all people for all time. If we come to Him with sincere and open hearts and ask Him to forgive us, He will! His forgiveness is so complete that there is no sin left behind. As far as the east is from the west, He removes our transgressions from us. Ps. 139:`12

This same Jesus is our strength and life. 9-10 Don’t be distracted by strange, new ideas. Your spiritual strength comes from God, the giver of life’s blessings and grace. Whatever deviates from, dilutes the message of, disregards, or distorts the Scriptures are strange teachings. God said what He meant to say and means every word He has spoken. We strengthen our souls by living in God’s grace. Strengthen your soul by lingering in God’s presence. Spend time alone with God lingering in God’s Word. Spend time alone with God at your altar. Take the Lord with you throughout your day. Do not rob your soul of its needed time in God’s presence.

We have a sure foundation, Jesus Christ our Lord, “On the Solid Rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand...”

COMMUNION

 

COMMUNION

I Cor. 11:23-29

While we may call it by different names, experience it in different ways, and vary in how often we do it, I believe that on of the reasons why church is important is that we, take the time to remember the broken body and shed blood of Christ together.

It is important for us to remember the body of Christ and how it was broken for us. John 1:1-5, 14 tells us that God came to earth in human form. The Word (Jesus) became flesh and dwelt for a while amongst us. When we eat of the bread (wafers, etc.), we are acknowledging the earthly life of our Lord and the price Jesus paid for our salvation. Isaiah 53.

The cup represents the shed blood of Christ on the cross for our salvation. Heb. 9:11-14 We are reminded that without the shedding of blood, there can be no forgiveness of sins. In Leviticus we are reminded over and over again that the blood is the life flow of the living. If there is no flowing blood, life is ended. Jesus allowed His blood to flow from Calvary so that we can be forgiven for our sins.

When we pass the bread, we are acknowledging together that our salvation comes from the Lord. Ps. 103:1-9 It reminds us that we are so blessed by God to be a part of His family, to be recipients of His healing touch on our lives. Jesus is our life and He alone can satisfy our souls.

When we pass the cup, we are remembering together that God remembers our sins no more when we are forgiven through Christ. Ps. 103:10-18 God in His mercy and grace gives us new hearts. The old us passes away and the new us begins. II Cor. 5:17

Communion unites the body of Christ together in a way that nothing else can. The focus is solely on Christ and what He did for us at Calvary. We are drawn closer to Him as we linger in the presence of God’s amazing grace and love for us.

Communion is a vital part of our faith walk. When we faithfully attend church, we get to participate in this amazing worship experience; it won’t save you, but it will draw you closer to the Lord in ways you will not be able to experience otherwise.

CHURCH: WHY BOTHER? 2

 

CHURCH: WHY BOTHER? 2

Heb. 10:19-25

One of the reasons why we should go to church and be actively involved in it is for food. In fact, it should be the main reason why we go to church. If you don’t go to church hungry, you won’t be fed. Spending less than an hour alone with God during the week will starve one’s soul to death. Being in church should be the smorgasbord. Whatever we may feed our souls during the week is merely appetizers. Our soul’s longing should be to be fed spiritual food in church. If you are not fed from God’s Word in the church you attend, change churches!

We should expect to be fed from God’s Word and settle for nothing less. Read Nehemiah 8:1-8 when the Israelites gathered together to hear God’s Word read and explained for six hours. In chapter 9:1-3, we see the Word being expounded for twelve hours. Shame on us when we murmur and complain when preachers preach for too long these days.

We should ask the Lord to feed us as we stand beneath the cross. Beneath the cross of Jesus we must stand. He is the only way we will ever stand before God. He alone is truth and life for our souls. We need Jesus; every moment of every day, we need Jesus. He alone is our wisdom, righteousness, and holiness from God. I Cor. 1:30 People try to invent all kinds of other ways to get us to God, but there is none. We cannot ever be good enough apart from Christ to make it into heaven. Feast on the riches of God’s grace that flows from Calvary and never be satisfied.

We should ask the Lord to feed us in church so we can make it through another week of life. Life is full of many highs and lows. We seem to manage well in the high times of life, but the low times often throw us for a loop. We go to church for food and fuel for our souls so we can face life in a positive way.

We also go to church for fellowship. We need to be led into fellowship with God. 22-23 If being close to God is happening in your church, then you need to look for a church where it is. We need to be in fellowship with other believers. 24-25 We must be with those who are living out their faith in daily life. We need to know that we are not alone in our struggles. We need to be encouraged and inspired to continue to live by faith. We need to experience the genuine love of Christ flowing amongst His people. We need to mutually support and learn from each other. We need to know that there is no such thing as a perfect child of God, that we all are works in progress as we prepare to leave this life to go and be with the Lord.

CHURCH: WHY BOTHER?

 

CHURCH: WHY BOTHER?

Heb. 10:19-25

People come up with all sorts of reasons why they don’t go to church. They point to problems with the pastor, the people who attend there, the programs, etc. The people who go to church aren’t perfect, so they figure they can do just as well without it. While people attend church for a wide variety of reasons, I want to focus on the faith of church people and how it helps them to be better versions of themselves.

A Bible preaching and teaching church helps people to know how to integrate faith into their daily living. Any church that fails to do this, is merely a social club for sinners.

Faith enables us to come before God with confidence. 19 We have confidence because we know through faith that Jesus is the way to God, and we don’t have anything to fear when we approach God.

Faith enables us to know the love of God and just how much He loves us. We know God loves us because He knows us better than anyone else ever could. He knows us inside and out. He knows what we are like when we are all alone and when we are at our worst. He knows us by name and has every hair on our head numbered. Yet, in spite of knowing us so well, He became human flesh and went to the cross to die for our sins. God loves us just as we are. He doesn’t demand anything of us in order to be loved by Him. He loves us and will never stop loving us for He is love.

We learn about faith in church that unfolds for us the workings of the Holy Spirit. We discover that the Spirit is constantly at work in us to make us a holy people, a people after God’s own heart. We discover the teaching ministry of the Holy Spirit as He guides us into all truth. We learn from the Spirit as we read, study, and meditate on God’s Word. We are inspired by the Spirit as we gather with other believers in public worship. He moves our souls through the songs we sing, testimonies shared, communion, preaching, teaching, and even offerings that we offer to the Lord.

In church, we actively observe and experience the living Christ.

KEYS TO CHRISTIAN LIVING 3

 

KEYS TO CHRISTIAN LIVING 3

Col. 3:3-4 For you died when Christ died, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God. And when Christ, who is your real life is revealed to the whole world, you will share in all his glory. NLT

If we are going to live a Christian life, we must set our lives on things above. This means first of all that we must die to ourselves. In order to die to self, we must surrender our lives over to Christ. We must give up our sinful living and ask the Lord to forgive us for our sins. We must surrender to Him our selfish desires. The sooner we Taccept the fact that life doesn’t revolve around us, the sooner we will be able to live for Christ. We must surrender to Christ our self-righteousness. We can never do enough or . be good enough on our own to be made righteous before God. Jesus alone is our righteousness, our holiness from God. I Cor. 1:30

To die to self means we let Jesus be Lord of our lives. We yield to Him our wills and ways. We let Him change whatever needs to be changed in us. We let Him be our guide. We let Him determine what is best for us and cooperate with Him as He works in us. We strive to be like Jesus, to be salt and light in the world.

Before we can live in glory with Jesus, we must die. Glory is the radiance of God’s presence. When we die to self, we should radiate the presence of God. How much do you radiate Christ in you? Do others see that Christ lives in you? You cannot live like the world does and be a reflection of Christ in the world. You will radiate what you put into your soul. Also, you will never radiate more than what you put into your soul.

Does your church radiate the glory of Christ? Can others from outside your church family tell that Jesus is present when they join you for worship? Can others tell that those in your church family love each other? If not, what do you need to do in order to radiate the glory of Christ in you and your church? Do you let the Word of God change you? Do you pray together? Do you strive to honor and glorify Christ and not self?

If Christ is living in us, we will light up the part of the world we live in.

KEYS TO CHRISTIAN LIVING 2

 

KEYS TO CHRISTIAN LIVING 2

Col. 3:2 Let heaven fill your thoughts. Do not think only about things down here on earth. NLT

Have you ever thought much about what you think about during the day? Thousands of things flow through our minds daily. What captivates your thoughts the most? Are your thoughts rooted on earthly things, or do you think a lot about God and your relationship with Him? Be honest. If you are like most people, God probably is not very high on your list of things you think about.

Are you earthly-minded? If you are living only for what the world has to offer, you are earthly-minded. The things of earth are a natural part of our lives, but if they are how we measure our worth, we are earthly-minded. We need to take an honest look at what we focus on. It is a good indicator of our true relationship with Christ.

Are you heavenly-minded? A heavenly-minded person has a grateful heart. He does not take for granted life’s blessings. He is thankful for the way God has molded his life and the people in it. He is thankful for Christ’s forgiveness of his sins and lives like it. He is grateful for the patience of God with him. He lives with an attitude of gratitude every day of his life.

A heavenly-minded person lives above the circumstances of life and not under them. He knows God is in control and whatever he is going through will work out for his good. He does not waver in his trust in God.

A heavenly-minded person lives to please the Lord, not man. We live in a world full of people-pleasers. Most people will do whatever they can to be liked. Being thought of as a good person is important to most. Being good at what he does so others will be impressed drives many. Yet, it is far more important to please God than man. It is God alone whom we will answer to on Judgment Day. We strive to please those whom we love, and if we love the Lord, we will strive to please Him.

A heavenly-minded person is more concerned about holiness than quality of life. Holiness is not an option, it’s an absolute necessity if we are going to make it into heaven. Without it, no one can see God, no one can enter into God’s presence. God is holy and demands us to be holy. The only way we can be made holy is by letting Jesus be our Savior and Lord.

KEYS TO CHRISTIAN LIVING

 

KEYS TO CHRISTIAN LIVING

Col. 3:1 Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits at God’s right hand in the place of honor and power. NLT

We must set our hearts on things above. What does this mean in our daily lives? One of the things it means is that we are to passionately love God. Matt. 22:37 That is, we are to love God with all of our being—body, mind, and soul. In order to do that, we must consciously include God in our daily living. We find the time each day to feed our souls with His presence. We observe His handiwork and thank Him for it. We feed on God’s Word and spend time in prayer. We thank Him often for His blessings. We spend time daily talking to Him. In other words, we stay engaged with the Lord throughout our daily living. Phil. 4:8

. must consciously seek after God in our daily lives. Ps. 42:1 Do we long for God’s presence daily? Do we purposely pursue God until He is near?

We must passionately love others. Matt. 22:38 We cannot passionately love God without passionately loving others. If we love others, we will deliberately strive to help one another grow in relationship with God. This means, we will pray for them and with them. We will praise them when they do things well. We will participate in their growing process by teaching them what we have learned, listening to them as they seek answers for their questions, and partner with them as we are able as they serve the Lord.

We must passionately seek to help the lost come to a saving knowledge of Christ. This means that we must pray for them, pursue them, and preach to them. Pray for them that when they hear the Gospel message that their hearts will be open to it and accept it. Pray for those witnessing to them that they will have boldness and present the Word with love and clarity. When we have opportunity, we must go into the world and pursue them. We must do our part and share the Gospel with the lost by telling them our story, how the Lord has changed us.

Set your heart on things above. God is not willing that anyone should perish and neither should we be.

DISCOVERING GOD'S WILL 2

 

DISCOVERING GOD’S WILL 2

John 4:31-38

It is God’s will to seek and save all who are lost. II Pet. 3:8-9 We must never forget this awesome truth. Anyone who has not come to Jesus for the forgiveness of their sins is lost. This means that most people you know or rub shoulders with in life are lost. Most people think they are good enough for heaven, but they are lost. In fact, we live in a world where most people don’t know they are lost. Many claim to be spiritual, but without Jesus, they are lost. Most are so lost they don’t even care to know or hear about Jesus.

God wants us to see what He sees. (35) He sees a people who are ready to be saved. They are tired of the empty lives they are living. They are tired living meaningless and hopeless lives. They long for someone to show them by their lives that faith in Christ works.

God wants us to see a people whose time is running out. He wants us to know that this is an urgent matter. Every day draws us closer to the return of Christ. There will soon come a day in which it will be very hard for a person to be saved. And salvation will come at a great cost.

God wants us to see the urgent need to pray for the lost. Pray for the lost. Pray for God to raise up laborers for the harvest field. Go if you can, but if you can’t, pray.

It is God’s will that we do what we can do. What can we do? Some of us can preach the Word. II Tim. 4:2-5 If you can’t preach, perhaps you can teach. Deut. 6 If you can’t preach or teach, perhaps you can take the Word with you wherever you go. Is. 6:8 One of the things all of us must do is live the Word. I Cor. 11:1 Jesus commanded us to go into the world and make disciples. Matt. 28:19-20 Making disciples means that we take an invested interested in others and help them to grow in faith. The Apostle John gave us a great example to follow in I John 1:1-6. We need to share with others our story. Just tell them what Jesus has done for you, the difference He makes in your life.

It is God’s will that the church prepare the world for Christ’s coming. Who will go to heaven with us because we did God’s will for us? Who will not be in heaven with us because we failed to do God’s will for us?

No matter what God has gifted to do, do your very best at it. The eternal life of so many are at stake. Time is running out. You may be someone’s very last hope of being saved. Don’t let someone go to hell because you failed to do God’s will for you.

DISCOVERING GOD'S WILL

 

DISCOVERING GOD’S WILL

John 4:31-38

If you have been a part of the church for very long, you have heard God’s will abrought up. You may have wondered what God’s will is for you. God’s will is both general and specific in nature. God has specific plans for most of us. He calls us to particular fields of service uniquely suited for who we are. He also has general plans for every believer that applies.

One of the things we know very clearly from the Scriptures is that it is God’s will to save souls from the pit of hell. Why does God care where we will spend eternity? God knows what hell is like, and because He loves us, He will do all He can do to spare us from going there.

In hell, there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. We find this message mentioned seven times in the Gospels. There will be weeping because all hope of being saved will be gone, there will be no way out, and there will be no one to help us. And to make matters worse, there will be no forgetting missed opportunities to be saved. There will be a constant gnashing of teeth. There will be physical, mental, and spiritual torment. It will be a lake of fire (Rev. 20:11-15) and burning sulfur (Rev. 19:20} with no relief.

Hell will be a place of unbridled evil. It will be a place where the soul will forever grieve over the fact that he is there because he chose to reject Christ.

It is God’s will that we would be saved because He knows what we are like. Jer. 17:

9-10. We can hide our sins from anyone but God. He knows that we are all headed for hell if we reject Christ in our lives.

It is God’s will for us to be saved because He knows that time is short. Jer. 8:20 “The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved.” Every day draws us closer to the coming of Christ. We can see the prophecies of Christ’s coming being fulfilled right before our eyes. No one has a guarantee that tomorrow will come. Today is our given day to be saved and sanctified. Don’t put off for tomorrow what you know you need to do today.

God will do all He can to save you from hell, but you must let Him have His way with you before He can.

THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT: SELF-CONTROL

 

THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT: SELF-CONTROL

Gal. 5:22, 23 The fruit of the Spirit 4 love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control…..NLT

Self-control is not a gift, it’s a fruit of the Spirit. It is not something that only a few of the children of God have been given, it’s something that all of us should have. If we are living in Christ, we will have self-control. It may be something that we struggle with, but it’s something that we gain more and more of as we live in Christ. It is one of the ways that others can see the Spirit of Christ in us.

It is our personal responsibility to live under the control of the Holy Spirit. We must always strive to live close to the heart of God. The farther we live away from God, the less self-control we will have. It is a matter of the will whether or not the Spirit controls us. He will not fight us for control. We must surrender our all to the lordship of Christ over us before the Spirit can refine us and mold us into the person God created us to be.

Self-control affects every area of our lives. If we find ourselves unable to control ourselves, we are not living in Christ as we should be.

We are to control what we look at. Matt. 6:22-23 This is a sobering reality. It is so easy to look at unholy things. What do we view for entertainment. What do we read? What do we look at when looking at people?

We are to control our emotions. Matt. 5:22 Are you easily angered? Do you let your emotions cause you to act crazily? Do you wear your emotions on your sleeves? Yes, we do get emotional, and it’s not a bad thing. But we need to remain in control of our emotions as much as possible.

We are to control our judgmental spirits. Matt. 7:1-5 Let’s face it, we are quick to judge a person before we even know them. We judge them without any clue as to why they are the way they are or do what they do. We must learn with the Spirit’s help to not be so quick to judge. We don’t know the heart, only God does. Instead of judging, we should pray for others and show them grace and mercy.

We are to control what we feed our souls. Phil. 4:8 Remember, what goes in comes out. You determine the health of your soul by what you feast on.

Self-control is the discipline of living in close fellowship with Christ. How close are you living to Christ today?

THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT: FAITHFULNESS

 

THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT: FAITHFULNESS

Gal. 5:22 The fruit of the Spirit is: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness…..NLT

Faithfulness consists of fidelity, focus, and firmness of purpose. It involves God’s faithfulness to us and our faithfulness to God. Consider first God’s faithfulness to us. Ps. 89

Fidelity is loyalty that perseveres regardless of circumstances. We see God’s love for us. I John 4:19 God never wavers in His loyalty to loving us. We don’t have to always be perfect little angels in order for God to love us. His love for us is constant, and He always act towards us out of His love for us.

We see the fidelity of God in His mercy towards us. Gen.8:20-22 God does not treat us like we deserve to be treated. He does not pour out His wrath on us when we mess up. Jesus is our protector. He is God’s mercy towards us.

We see the fidelity of God in His pursuit of us. II Pet. 3:9 God is relentless in His pursuit of us. His passion is to see everyone come to a saving knowledge of Him.

God’s faithfulness is seen in His focus. God’s focus is redemptive. John 3:16 His focus is reconciliation. Jesus came to make us right with God. His focus is rehabilitative. Jesus makes us into new people. The old passes away and all things become new. II Cor. 5:17

God’s faithfulness is seen in His firmness of purpose. God’s intent is to make us a holy people, a people fit for heaven.

Then there is our faithfulness to God. We must constantly look inward and examine our loyalty to God. Are we loyal to God no matter what, or do we abandon our confidence and trust in Him when things don’t go our way?

Is God our focus in life? Phil. 3:12-14 Do we keep our eyes on Jesus or are we easily distracted?

Do we have firmness of purpose? What is your purpose in life? Do you intend to follow Jesus all the way to heaven? Are you striving to honor and glorify Christ in all you do and say?

THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT: GOODNESS

 

THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT: GOODNESS

Gal. 5:22 The fruit of the Spirit is: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness,…..NLT

What is goodness? Where does it come from? Who is good? Why is it important to know what goodness is? To begin with, goodness comes from God. In reality, apart from God, no one is good. We are all naturally born sinners. No amount of effort on our part can make us good. The Scriptures make it very clear, God alone is good. God cannot act in a way that is not good. We may not always see it, understand it, believe it, or accept it, but God is good. He knows always what He is doing and what is best. If we allow Him to work things out according to His will, everything will be good and He will be glorified. So, what is goodness?

Goodness is the purity of our hearts that motivates us to do what is morally right. We are good when we live by God’s standards. It is a desire to do what iis pleasing to God. It is honoring God in our living. It is honoring Him in our relationships.

Goodness enables us to look beyond the sins of others to see them as people of worth. It enables us to see people as people loved by God. No matter how evil a person may be, Jesus died for them. He desires that all would be saved. We may not be able to help some people to accept God’s love for them, but we should be vessels of God’s love to them. Instead of judging people as hopelessly lost and dismissing them from our hearts, we should pray for them and if we have the opportunity, try to help them out of their misery.

We are made good only through Christ. Living submissively to Christ and letting His righteousness and holiness rule our hearts makes us good. We may do many good things apart from Christ, but nothing we do makes us good in the sight of God. What we do apart from Christ will never get us into heaven, nothing. It is impossible to earn our way into God’s favor. Jesus alone is the way, truth, and life, and no one can approach God except through Him.  John 14:6

One of the ways to determine one’s goodness, is through the work of the Holy Spirit in them to make them holy. If a person is not progressing in holiness, he is not good before God.

THE FRUIT OF SPIRIT: KINDNESS

 

THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT: KINDNESS

Gal. 5:22 The fruit of the Spirit is: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness…..NLT

What is kindness? Wayne Caldwell put it this way, ‘Kindness is a sincere desire to help another person bear his burden.” It is extending a helping hand to someone in need. It is treating others with goodness. It is being respectful to others and giving them value.

Kindness is going the extra mile to help someone in need. Matt. 5:38-42; 25:3–40 Instead of ignoring or avoiding someone in need, we are to respond in a positive way to help them as we are able. It is extending grace towards those who are going through difficult times. It is not demanding more out of others than what they can deliver.

Kindness is the love of God in action on our behalf. Isaiah 53:4-5 It is God offering to us help with our sin problem. It is God valuing our lives. It is God not leaving us alone to fend for ourselves. It is God at work within us to make us fit for heaven.

Kindness is the wings upon which faith impacts the world. It is wrapping the Gospel up in love as we share it with others. It is not beating someone over the head with it and judging them guilty of sin. It is drawing others to Christ by how we treat them with love and dignity. Without kindness, the Gospel message comes across as harsh, cruel, and judgmental. Without kindness, people naturally reject it.

Kindness is the natural lifestyle of those who live in close fellowship with God. It is loving others as much as we do ourselves. It is spreading sunshine into someone’s life. It is making others feel better about themselves, even if it’s just for a moment or two. It is smiling. It is being a vessel of God’s love in a world full of hate, anger, and lostness. It is treating others like you want them to treat you.

THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT: PATIENCE

 

THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT: PATIENCE

Gal. 5:22 The fruit of the Spirit is: love, joy, peace, patience…..NLT

In James 5:7-11, James gives us an illustration from everyday life to drive home the need for patience. He uses the example of a farmer. I married a farmer’s daughter but grew up in the city so I have had to observe and learn what being a farmer is all about. And one of the must have character traits of a farmer is patience.

A farmer plants his crops by faith. He cannot control the elements of nature, but each year he goes out and prepares his soil for the planting season. He puts his seeds in the ground with no idea whether he will get a crop or not. He is an eternal optimist and diligently persistent. He does what he can do and then must wait. He can’t hurry up his crops, so he patiently waits for harvest season. (see II Tim. 4:1-6) He doesn’t even know if he will even see the crop he sowed reaped. I Cor. 3:1-9 He doesn’t even know if the crop he sows will be enough to cover the expenses of planting his seeds. Matt. 9:37.

James also says in verse ten that patience is seen in the life of the prophets. Heb. 11 gives us many examples of great men and women of the faith who patiently enduring life’s hardships because they lived in expectation of the eternal life we find in Christ.

Patience is found in the life of Job. Job did not understand his sufferings, but he did not denounce his faith in God. He patiently waited before God and sought answers that did not come.

Patience is something we must have as we deal with one another. It takes a lot of love, grace, and patience to deal positively with others. Matt. 18:21-22; I Cor. 13:4 It many times is very hard work, but it is what pleases God.

Patience is seen in how God deals with us. II Pet. 3:9,15 If God wasn’t so patient with us, none of us would make it to heaven. Jesus is patiently waiting for others to come to a saving knowledge of Him.

Patience is what enables marriages work. In fact, it is fundamental to all relationships. If you lack patience, ask the Lord to take greater control of your life and help you.

THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT: PEACE

 

THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT: PEACE

Gal. 5:22 The fruit of the Spirit is: love, joy, peace…….NLT

Peace is elusive unless you know Jesus as your Savior and Lord because lasting peace depends on the character of those involved. Only God can be depended on to never fail to do what He has promised. Only God is able to diffuse situations that otherwise sever relationships. Only in Christ are we able to take the high road and not add fire to the fuel of strongly held beliefs we disagree with.

Peace is found when we accept the salvation Jesus offers to us. Rom. 5:1 It is an issue of the heart. It is resting in the victorious work of Christ on the cross to save our souls. Rom. 16:20

Peace is allowing God to have full access to our lives. I Thess. 5:23 A partial openness to Christ only makes us miserable. It is only when we fully surrender our souls to Christ that we can say it is well with our souls and we have peace.

Peace is Christ’s gift of love to us as we wait for His return for the church. John 14:27-31 We don’t deserve it, but we have it when we live in the righteousness and holiness of Christ.

Peace is knowing who you are in Christ and where you are going when you die. Our identity is found in our relationship with God, not the perception or opinions of man.

When we accept Christ as our Savior, we are children of God We are family, and nothing, or nobody, can separate us from the love of Christ for us. Rom. 8:37-39 Knowing how much God values us and our relationship with Him ought to rest in Him and never let life rob us of the joys of living in Christ. The only one we should ever care about pleasing is God.

Peace is knowing where we are going when we die. John 14:1-4 Jesus reminds us not to let our hearts be troubled. He said that He is in heaven today preparing a place for us to spend eternity with Him. We are going to heaven when we die! There is nothing to fear about today or our tomorrows. Oh, that will be glory for me, when my Jesus I shall see!

Peace, God’s peace. There is nothing like it in the world. It is found only in Christ Jesus, our Lord. Praise His holy name!

THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT: JOY

 

THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT: JOY

Gal. 5:22 The fruit of the Spirit is: love, joy,…… NLT

There is a difference between joy and happiness. Happiness is an emotional, positive elation in response to one’s circumstances. Joy is an enduring contentment and elation regardless of one’s circumstances. Happiness comes and goes; joy is constant. Happiness is rooted in our emotions; joy is rooted in our spiritual nature.

Joy is found in the heart of those who obey God. John 15:9-11 Joy naturally flows from obedience. We know that it pleases God when we obey Him. It honors God when we obey Him. It makes a difference for God when we obey Him. Our hearts are blessed knowing that we are right with God in soul and practice.

Joy is found in take to heart what Jesus says. It is knowing that what Jesus says is true and embracing it in our lives. It is believing our sins are forgiven and living like it. thaMatt. 9:2 It is believing that Jesus is in control and there is nothing to fear. Matt. 6:50 It is believing that Christ has not lost control of the world, but has overcome it. John 16:33 Joy is believing that Jesus has never, or ever will, leave or forsake us in this world. Matt. 28:20 It is believing that Jesus is the way, truth, and life, that He is the key to knowing God on a personal level. John 14:6 It is believing that Jesus is coming back for us just as He said He would. John 14:1-4 When we take to heart what Jesus said, there is a calm assurance that floods our soul that everything is okay.

Joy is having a calm assurance that we are in Christ and Christ is in us. It is observing and participating in what Christ has done and is doing in our lives. It is living in the forgiveness He gives to us. Our pa ost sins are washed away in His precious, shed blood on Calvary. We don’t live like the unforgiven. We live like children of God who are now in Christ righteous and holy before God. I Cor. 1:30 Oh, what joy floods the soul of the redeemed!

THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT: LOVE

 

THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT: LOVE

Gal. 5:22 The fruit of the Spirit is love…...NLT

Love is the universal language. God is love, and He has instilled in every person the need to love and be loved. We use the term to describe our affections. We muddy the waters when we use it too often. We use it to describe our affections for objects, activities, what entertains us, animals, people, and God. We use it so freely that it becomes confusing as to where our true affections lie. What does the Apostle Paul mean when he says that the fruit of the Spirit is love?

Paul uses the highest form of love known to man, agape love. He describes it for us in I Cor. 13:4-8a. It is the love of God and the love we should aspire to live by with one another. In I John 4:7-10, John emphases the love of God and our need to be vessels of His love. Jesus emphasized the fact that loving others is not an option, it’s a command. John 15:12

It’s easy to love those who are lovable, but what about those who are unlovable? What about those who do not love us back? What about those who are mean-spirited and treat us awful? What about those who do us harm? We are to love them as well. But how is that possible? There are a few things we need to remember.

We can’t love others until we first know we are loved. We find in Christ the source and means to genuinely love. We learn through loving Him that we can love others and even ourselves. The more time we spend humbly before the Lord, the greater will be our capacity for love. God is love, and His supply of love never runs dry. One of our most basic needs is to feast on His love. When we are filled with God’s love, we understand that no one is beyond the scope and reach of God’s love. Jesus died for every person who has ever lived. John 3:16 How can we withhold love from those whom Jesus died for?

Love restores broken relationships. It is evidenced in our forgiving those who have wronged us or are doing wrong. It also is striving where it is possible to right the wrongs we have done to others. It is being gracious and compassionate to others. It is the norm for a true child of God.

MAKE DISCIPLES

 

MAKE DISCIPLES

Matt. 28:19-20

We have a mandate from the Lord. We are to go into all the world and make disciples of Christ. The Scriptures are very clear. We have a job to do. We are to be salt and light in the world. We are to be ambassadors of Christ in the world. We are to be the mouthpiece of God to the world. It is not enough to talk about Jesus and to sing about Him in our churches. We are to go into the world and make a difference for Christ in the world.

The world is made up of all kinds of people. Some people we like and are comfortable with. Some people don’t like us or our message. Some people will go out of their way to make life miserable for us. Yet, Jesus did not tell us to go just to those we are okay with. We are to go to those who appear to be unlovable as well. We are not to avoid the downtrodden. We are not to ignore those who are outcasts of society.

We are to go into the world not to pad our church rolls. We are to go to make disciples. Making disciples is often a slow and difficult task. It requires us to become invested in the life of others. It requires us to pray much over those we endeavor to help.

We are to strive to help others not to make them feel good about themselves. We strive to teach them to obey God in everything. How they feel about themselves will flow from their obedience, not precede it. We are not to invest in people’s lives to make ourselves feel good either. We reach out to help others because Jesus sent someone into our life to reach out to us.

Go. Go into the world and make disciples, but when you do, be assured you will not be going alone. The Lord promises to be with you each step that you take into the world to help you reach those who are ready to be saved.

MAKE GOD KNOWN 2

 

MAKE GOD KNOWN 2

John 4:35 “Do you think the work of harvesting will not begin until the summer ends four months from now? Look around you! Vast fields are ripening all around us and are ready for now for the harvest.” NLT

Are you a people watcher? Do you notice how people look and act in public? Do you draw conclusions about them based upon what you see? Be honest. We all do it don’t we? The next time you catch yourself judging a person by what you see, consider this. Everyone that you see is a soul for whom Jesus died. Everyone needs the Lord, regardless of what they may appear to be. Jesus told His disciples to look at the harvest field.

Jesus said that there are people all around us who are ready to receive Him. We don’t know who they are, but they are there. It should move us to treat people with kindness. We should strive to be patient and understanding. We should be empathetic and compassionate. We should treat others with gentleness and self-control. How we treat others may very well be what they need to want to give their lives over to Jesus. If we treat them harshly and with rudeness, it may be what keeps them away from the Lord. Don’t be the reason why someone doesn’t come to the Lord.

Jesus also said we are to pray for the harvest field. Luke 10:2-3 When was the last time you asked the Lord to prepare hearts for salvation? When was the last time you asked the Lord to send more people into the world with the Gospel message? The need for the Gospel message is great. The need for people who are not afraid to speak out for the Lord is great. The need for people to pray is great. If you are not able to go or unwilling to go, will you pray?

Jesus commands all of us to go, not just pastors, missionaries, and teachers. We all have our story to tell of how and why we were saved. Who have you told your story? You don’t need a college degree in the Bible to go, show, and tell what Jesus has done for you. Someone needs to hear your story. People are ready for someone to tell them about Jesus. Will you tell them? Will you help someone come to know Jesus before it is too late for them?

MAKE GOD KNOWN

 

MAKE GOD KNOWN

John 4:34 Then Jesus explained, “My nourishment comes from doing the will of God, who sent me, and from finishing his work.” NLT

Jesus had just had an encounter with the Samaritan woman. The disciples were gone during the encounter as they had gone looking for some food. When they got back, they wanted Jesus to eat but He informed them that He had been feeding on spiritual food, doing God’s work.

We are to make Jesus known to a lost and dying world. Instead of living for the momentary pleasures and comforts of life, we are to live to reach as many people as we can for Christ. God does not want to see anyone spend eternity in hell. He knows what horrors await those who go there. He did not create hell to be a good place to be. In Matthew 24:51, Jesus describes it a place of weeping and gnashing of teeth. There will be intense, agonizing groaning that will last eternally. There will be a physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual torment that will never go away. In Revelations 20:11-15, it is described as a lack of unquenchable fire, and in Rev. 19:20 it’s described as a lake of sulfur.

God loves us and knows our time on earth is short (Jer. 8:20). He has no desire to see anyone have to spend eternity in such torment, but will not force anyone to stay out of there. He provides for us the only way we can to avoid hell (John 3:16; 14:6). All who go to hell will be there by choice.

Jesus also said that His nourishment was to finish the work God gave Him to do. Jesus’ work was finished when He died for our sins and conquered death. Jesus would not be distracted or kept from the cross. What drives you? What has God given you to do? Are you determined to finish the task? Are you doing all you can do to reach those the Lord has given you to reach? Are you in the business of making disciples (Matt. 28:19-20).

Don’t let anyone or anything keep you from serving the Lord. Do your best at what you are given to do. Eternity awaits and you may very well may be the difference maker as to whether someone makes it to heaven or hell.

DO WE HONOR GOD? 2

 

DO WE HONOR GOD? 2

Matt. 7:16-17 “You can detect them by the way they act, just as you can identify a tree by its fruit. You don’t pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles. A healthy tree produces good fruit, and an unhealthy tree produces bad fruit.” NLT

There are several observations we can make from our Scripture text for today.

It does not honor God when we prevent the Spirit from changing our hearts. The genuineness of one’s faith is seen in the life changes that are seen in one’s life. If the Spirit controls our lives, we will bear the fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22-23), not the fruit of a worldly heart (Gal. 5:19-21).

It does not honor God when we come to worship Him without living for Him the other six days of the week. It is a mockery, shows great disrespect for who God is, and is hypocrisy to pretend to worship God while living like the devil. We need to examine why we gather with others for worship services. True worship is exposing our hearts before God and letting Him do whatever needs to be done to make us right with Him. It is Christ-focused, nothing more, nothing less.

It does not honor God when we try to live by anything other than grace. Eph. 2:8-9 We do not try to save ourselves by our good deeds. We don’t try to save ourselves by impressing others. We don’t save ourselves by our accomplishments in this live. We can only be saved by the grace of God poured out upon us through Christ.

It does not honor God when we misrepresent Him before man. What honors God is our being real about our faith. Not only do we do good, but we don’t try to pretend to be so good that we never mess up, react in ungodly ways, have fits of anger, say mean things, etc. We are not perfectly godly people. We have never been and will never be as long as we are on earth. We honor God when we are honest about our failures and strive to improve upon them.

DO WE HONOR GOD?

 

DO WE HONOR GOD?

Matt. 7:15 “Beware of false prophets who come disguised as harmless sheep, bur are really wolves that will tear you apart.” NLT

A false prophet is anyone who tries to pass off as spiritual truth what hon not true according to God’s Word. There always has been and always will be false prophets. These people are self-serving and self-promoting. They prey upon people for their own advantage usually disguised as a church. They are everywhere truth is proclaimed. They are even found in churches who profess to believe what the Bible declares. One of the questions we must ask ourselves is, “Do we honor God with our lips?” Are we truth proclaimers or false prophets?

We do not honor God when our actions do not back up our words. In reality, when we do not live what we proclaim, we are lying to others. We are pretenders. We are false prophets when we don’t practice what we preach.

We do not honor God when we use God’s name in vain. How can we say we love the Lord when we disrespect His holy name by using it so loosely?

We do not honor the Lord when we use the language of the world. I have heard many professing members of the faith use street language over the years. Should we be doing that? How can we in good faith speak the language of the world instead of the language of heaven?

We do not honor the Lord when we tear people down instead of building them up. The Lord came to save people, not destroy them. If we can’t say anything good about someone, it is better to not say anything than to judge them with our words.

We do not honor the Lord when we take credit for what He has done. We do not honor the Lord when we remain silent when we have been given opportunity to speak out for Him. We do not honor God when we take for granted and neglect our great salvation.

Do you honor God by the way you live and speak? Seek to honor and glory Christ in all you do and you willl be blessed.

WASHING YOUR HANDS 3

 

WASHING YOUR HANDS 3

Matt. 27:11-26

For many these days, they are reluctant to assume responsibility for their lifestyles and actions. They tend to blame others for their lives. “It’s the culture we live in. It’s my absent parents. It’s how I was treated by my peers growing up. Someone abused me.” Etc. While people do have an impact on us and who we become, they do not control who we remain. We are slaves to our circumstances only if we choose to be. We can do things to change. However, it’s so much easier to just not accept responsibility for our lives and pass the buck. Pilate tried to wash his hands of his role in Jesus’ crucifixion and pass the buck onto others. However, you cannot wash your hands and make your responsibilities go away.

If you are living in sin, you are responsible for your sins. No one can make you do what you don’t want to do. No one can answer to God for you for your sins. No u one will be held accountable to God for your sins but you. You will not get out of it. If you are living in sin, you are living as an enemy of God. You will not be able to hide them from God or blame someone else for them. Your only hope of escaping God’s wrath against you is Jesus. He can do what you nor anyone else can do, He can forgive you for your sins and make them go away.

If you are living by faith, you are responsible for living for how you live. God commands that we live holy lives before Him. There is no other way for a child of God to live.

If you are living by faith, you are responsible for sharing it with others. Faith in Christ cannot be contained. God commands us to share our faith with others. Matt. 28:19-20 We cannot hoard our salvation. Our mandate is to go into the world, share our faith, and make disciples for Christ. We are servants, not hoarders. We must preach and teach the Gospel message whenever and to whomever we can. If you truly love Jesus, you simply can’t do anything but share Him with the world. If you love the people for whom Jesus died, you will be compelled to share Him with them.

You cannot wash your hands of your responsibilities. You alone will be held accountable before God for the life you live.

WASHING YOUR HANDS 2

 

WASHING YOUR HANDS 2

I Tim. 4:1-5

It used to be that when one said they went to church, there was at least a general idea of what they were being taught, not so much anymore we. The church has become a smorgasbord of different kinds of beliefs. Under the umbrella of the church, you will find those whose beliefs are conservative and those who are liberal. Some stand for Biblical truths, others don’t even know what the Bible says. It is becoming increasingly difficult to find churches that stand on the firm foundation of the Word of God.

In the church, we find some people who have clearly abandoned the faith. They may think that faith is no longer relevant or even a necessity for getting into heaven. They may believe that their own goodness is all that is needed. They live like the devil through the week and go to church to make themselves feel better. They abandon the faith because they have failed to live it and think it is impossible and old-fashioned.

In the church, we find those who clearly follow deceiving spirits. They adjust the Bible to suit what they are comfortable with. They rarely, if ever, open their Bibles, if they even have one. They develop an image of God that fits their lifestyle instead of fitting their lifestyle to God. The live for the pleasures of this life with little thought to the eternal. They become the center of the universe instead of God. They live as if they are Lord of life, instead of Christ. They follow the popular, charismatic, and powerful instead of the humble servants of God.

In the church, some people have clearly seared their consciences. For some, the line between right and wrong is muddied with no clear standard to live by. They consider what is right to be only what is right for them. Sin no longer is what God says it is. They buy into the culture’s way of seeing things to the point that they no longer are able to feel remorse over sins committed. They will argue against what the Bible declares and strive to justify themselves for their actions. They rationalize that it’s okay to do whatever everyone else is doing. They so condition themselves to think as the world thinks that they no longer are able to feel conviction over sin.

Is it any wonder why most people no longer attend church? Most churches have nothing more to offer them than the world does. The church cannot stand strong against the culture of this world because the church has nothing to stand for.

Let us not wash our hands from the church. Let us fervently pray for her. Let us be so committed to Christ that the church has to take notice and change. If we aren’t part of the solution, we are part of the problem.