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Archive for the ‘Motivation’ Category

Turn My Heart

03 Jun

Satan has only a few packages he’s been selling for six thousand years.  Almost all of them have to do with wealth, power, sex, drugs, alcohol, etc.  Even the ones not listed still fit in the category of ME.  SELF.  The devil is in the selfish business.  You can pretty much use the test of anything and if it comes up about me and not for the Kingdom and the Lord it’s self.

I saw these verses reading through the One Year Bible the other day.

Psalm 119:36-37 – 36 Turn my heart toward your statutes and not toward selfish gain.
37 Turn my eyes away from worthless things; preserve my life according to your word.

Picture this:  Bam!  Your heart stops ticking.  What do you have?  Memories for the eternal old folks home?

No.  You have your testimony of how you lived.  How did you do?  Was it all for you?  Was it for others but not based on the Lord?  What do you have to present to the Lord?

People want to live by a scale of good and bad.  Without an ultimate authority one wouldn’t even know what that is.  But we do have an Ultimate Authority.  His Son died on the cross and the acceptance of that death in the place of your own and making Him Lord is the only thing that counts for salvation.

Then there is the authority of accountability.  Whoops.  We’re back to who did you serve?

The good news is there is some time left to finish the race strong.  Don’t stand around on the track though, all the signs are pointing to a very soon return.

 

A Slave To Win As Many As Possible

28 May

I am grateful that Paul did not have the attitude of many Christians today.

1 Corinthians 9:19- 19 Though I am free and belong to no one, I have made myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible.

Today many believe faith is a personal choice to be kept to oneself.  Others believe it’s the job of the clergy to spread the news.

Is that what the Bible and Word of God teaches?

Matthew 5:13-15 –  13 “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.  14 “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

No, we are to shout it from the mountain tops.

Are we ashamed?  If we are not then we need to allow the Spirit to be bold in us.

Persecution is coming quickly in this country.  It’s already started.  Stand up for your Lord, so the day you stand in front of Him, He will acknowledge you and say well done.

On the other hand, you do not want to stand in front of Him with nothing to present Him.

 

How About The Samaritans Who Came Out After Hearing About Jesus?

14 May

In John Chapter 4 the woman at the well went and told the people of that town to come see the man who told her everything she did.

The response is mentioned in verses 39-42.

John 4:39-42 – 39 Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman’s testimony, “He told me everything I ever did.” 40 So when the Samaritans came to him, they urged him to stay with them, and he stayed two days. 41 And because of his words many more became believers.

42 They said to the woman, “We no longer believe just because of what you said; now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is the Savior of the world.” 

They were curious and were intrigued.  However, when did they really strengthen their belief?  When they took the time to go and check Him out.

Believers today so often just believe what someone says.  They don’t take time to check it out.

How do you check it out?

God’s Word is the only way you can check something out to see if it comes from God.

If not, anything goes.  Just look around.  It does.  We have a whole world full of self proclaimed Christians who don’t know the Word and they are just ripe for the evil one to pick.

Is that biblical?

1 Timothy 4:1 – 1 The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons.

It sure is.

In verse thirteen Paul says:

1 Timothy 4:13-16 – 13 Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and to teaching.  14 Do not neglect your gift, which was given you through prophecy when the body of elders laid their hands on you.

15 Be diligent in these matters; give yourself wholly to them, so that everyone may see your progress. 16 Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers.

Some get into trouble when they try to prophecy and it is contradictory to the Word.  That’s another trap that is warned about in verse 1.

Study the Word so you won’t be deceived in these latter days.

 

Where Is The Promise Of His Coming?

06 May

2 Peter 3:3-4 – 3 Above all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. 4 They will say, “Where is this ‘coming’ he promised? Ever since our ancestors died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation.”

Why would someone scoff at the idea of the Lord coming back?  The Word has said He is going to.

Acts 1:11 – 11 “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.”

How was that?  He ascended from the Mount of Olives.  So could we say He descends back on the Mount of Olives?

Zechariah 14:2-4 – 2 I will gather all the nations to Jerusalem to fight against it; the city will be captured, the houses ransacked, and the women raped. Half of the city will go into exile, but the rest of the people will not be taken from the city. 3 Then the Lord will go out and fight against those nations, as he fights on a day of battle. 4 On that day his feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem, and the Mount of Olives will be split in two from east to west, forming a great valley, with half of the mountain moving north and half moving south.

So why the scoffing?  One reason is because replacement theology exists in the church today and second those who don’t take the scriptures literally aren’t going by what it says.

A third reason for the scoffing is in verse 3 up above.  They are following their own evil desires.  Essentially there are a whole lot a so called Christians that don’t want Jesus to interfere with their earthly dwelling plans.  As the Bride of Christ we should relish the return of our Groom.

The Groom is coming for His bride soon.  We need to be ready.

 

Reminder Of The Man Of Lawlessness

21 Apr

2 Thessalonians 2:1-12 – 1Concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered to him, we ask you, brothers and sisters, 2 not to become easily unsettled or alarmed by the teaching allegedly from us—whether by a prophecy or by word of mouth or by letter—asserting that the day of the Lord has already come. 3 Don’t let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction. 4 He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God’s temple, proclaiming himself to be God.

5 Don’t you remember that when I was with you I used to tell you these things? 6 And now you know what is holding him back, so that he may be revealed at the proper time. 7 For the secret power of lawlessness is already at work; but the one who now holds it back will continue to do so till he is taken out of the way. 8 And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will overthrow with the breath of his mouth and destroy by the splendor of his coming. 9 The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with how Satan works. He will use all sorts of displays of power through signs and wonders that serve the lie, 10 and all the ways that wickedness deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. 11 For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie 12 and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness.

I was responding back to someone who was nice enough to send a comment and wrote this back to him and thought it would be a good post.

The One who holds back the lawless one can only be the Holy Spirit.  When He’s out of the way the church is gone and out of the way also.

We need to love His appearing.  There are many that will be saved after the rapture and before the second coming.  They are the tribulation saints we read about.

Why the need for 144,000 sealed Jews, 12,000 from each tribe and two witnesses?  Because the church is gone.  Otherwise, isn’t that the churches job?

People don’t want to focus on this earth or delay in accepting the Lord.  If they don’t love the truth, then as the scripture says in verse 11, God sends then a powerful delusion.  Deep down they already want to believe the illusion and that’s why they have never sought Him.

The signs of the second coming are getting stronger each day.  The rapture is going to be at least 7 years prior to that.  Don’t hesitate to study all you can.  One, it will build your faith, two, we need to share with those who are willing to listen.  At least if they don’t accept now, they will have knowledge and could possibly be those who give up their lives and accept Jesus as a tribulation saint.  Otherwise it’s verse 11.

 

Who Do You Serve?

15 Apr

So choosing to blow people up, strike terror, who do you think those people serve?

Romans 13:9-10 – 9 The commandments, “You shall not commit adultery,” “You shall not murder,” “You shall not steal,” “You shall not covet,” and whatever other command there may be, are summed up in this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” 10 Love does no harm to a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.

Matthew 22:37-40 – 37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

So did those people or groups that did this or even celebrate the attack in Boston believe the above words?

No.

If you believe that all roads lead to Rome understand this.  A God that says the Jewish people, are a people He has made a covenant with and gave them the land they’re in, is not the same god as the one that wants every last one of them destroyed and the land taken from them.  They are not the same God.

It is amazing to see how many people can’t even make that simple distinction.  The problem isn’t lack of intelligence, it’s a lack of wisdom and a lack of caring to look at it in depth.

So who do you serve?  A god of fear, hate, and destruction.

Perhaps you would rather serve a God that loved you enough to pay for your sins and die for you instead.  It will cost you.  It will cost you being the god of your life and to start serving Him.  He wants you and rather or not you realize it, you need Him.

 

The Lord Wants Evil Purged

08 Apr

Deuteronomy 20:10-18- 10 When you march up to attack a city, make its people an offer of peace. 11 If they accept and open their gates, all the people in it shall be subject to forced labor and shall work for you. 12 If they refuse to make peace and they engage you in battle, lay siege to that city. 13 When the Lord your God delivers it into your hand, put to the sword all the men in it. 14 As for the women, the children, the livestock and everything else in the city, you may take these as plunder for yourselves. And you may use the plunder the Lord your God gives you from your enemies. 15 This is how you are to treat all the cities that are at a distance from you and do not belong to the nations nearby.

16 However, in the cities of the nations the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance, do not leave alive anything that breathes. 17 Completely destroy them—the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites—as the Lord your God has commanded you. 18 Otherwise, they will teach you to follow all the detestable things they do in worshiping their gods, and you will sin against the Lord your God.

When God had Israel go into the land and kill everyone, it was because those people had completely turned evil.  They had ripened up to the stench where God said no more.  God commanded the Israelites to kill everyone.  Why?  Because he didn’t want one infected bad apple to infect a new people who were to follow His principals.

Notice God didn’t send them in until the appointed time.  They had to become really evil before they went in.  This is what He said to Abraham.

Genesis 15:16 –16 In the fourth generation your descendants will come back here, for the sin of the Amorites has not yet reached its full measure.”

To the surrounding areas, God wanted submission.  He gave an alternative to the people around the area.  Serve Israel or the men (only) would be killed.  Notice there wasn’t the purging God demanded from those in the land He was giving to Israel.  They then took the woman and children to raise under God.

How much longer, before America reaches its full measure?  It’s on a fast track of bringing back all the things that God detests.  God takes evil seriously.

God may be slow to anger and abounding in love, but He hates evil.  Let’s do our best to stay away from what God thinks is evil.  Let’s try to purge it from our lives.

 
 

David Knew The Importance Of Needing Our Iniquities Being Washed Away

14 Mar

Psalm 51:1-2 –1 Have mercy on me, O God,
according to your unfailing love;
according to your great compassion
blot out my transgressions.
2 Wash away all my iniquity
and cleanse me from my sin.

Before Jesus came and did this very thing, David knew the importance.

People today sadly don’t know they need to have their sins cleansed.  They aren’t looking for the One Whom created them.  They aren’t worried about being accountable to Him.

We need to do our best to share that it is important to others.  Without our iniquity being washed away by the blood of the Lamb, hell awaits.  That’s scary and ugly.  Not everyone will choose their Creator as Lord, but we need to do our best to give them a chance.

 

God Sets His Face Against Those Who Follow Mediums And Spiritists

10 Mar

Leviticus 20:6 – 6 “‘I will set my face against anyone who turns to mediums and spiritists to prostitute themselves by following them, and I will cut them off from their people.

It’s amazing the farther America gets away from God and the Bible where they turn to.  It’s back to the same old song and dance, nothing new.  So where has people’s freedom from God led them?  Back into seeking psychics, mediums, etc.  They pay big money to inquire about the future.  They are fascinated by it.

One observation I have made, is that the same people are never excited about God’s truth.  It’s spirit thing.  Loving truth means that you won’t always like what it reveals.

Who are the mediums and spiritist communicating with?  God’s enemies.  The problem is people are ignoring God and listening to His enemies.

I’ve said it many times.  We don’t want to be an enemy of God in any way shape or form.  Seek His truth.  There are so many out there teaching doctrines from seducing spirits that are not truth.  How do we know?  Because it contradicts the Bible and His Word.

 

Are You Excited To See God?

02 Mar

Psalm 42:2 – 1 As the deer pants for streams of water,
so my soul pants for you, my God.
2 My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.
When can I go and meet with God?

Reading these verses remind me that I hope the rapture is in the next second.  Are you excited to be with the One who loves you and only wants heaven and happiness for you?  Or are you fixated on this world and all of your own accomplishments more.

I underlined “more”, because the Lord wants us to keep Him the center and work hard while we’re here, but I can promise you if you’re more excited about this place than His coming..?????

Put yourself in His shoes.  You’re coming back for your bride and your bride would rather you not show up right now.  You’re bride doesn’t even want to think about you showing up right now.

Just thinking about that and hearing yourself read it is kind of scary, isn’t it?  It kind of reminds of this parable.

Luke 14:15-24 –  15 When one of those at the table with him heard this, he said to Jesus, “Blessed is the one who will eat at the feast in the kingdom of God.”

16 Jesus replied: “A certain man was preparing a great banquet and invited many guests. 17 At the time of the banquet he sent his servant to tell those who had been invited, ‘Come, for everything is now ready.’

18 “But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said, ‘I have just bought a field, and I must go and see it. Please excuse me.’

19 “Another said, ‘I have just bought five yoke of oxen, and I’m on my way to try them out. Please excuse me.’

20 “Still another said, ‘I just got married, so I can’t come.’

21 “The servant came back and reported this to his master. Then the owner of the house became angry and ordered his servant, ‘Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame.’

22 “‘Sir,’ the servant said, ‘what you ordered has been done, but there is still room.’

23 “Then the master told his servant, ‘Go out to the roads and country lanes and compel them to come in, so that my house will be full. 24 I tell you, not one of those who were invited will get a taste of my banquet.’”

Don’t love the world, Love Your Lord!  His appearing is so close.  Is your heart ready?