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Archive for the ‘Motivation’ Category

Without Faith It Is Impossible To Please God- Part 2

22 Jul

Hebrews 6:11 – 6And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.

Yesterday we spoke about how it is impossible to please God without faith.  What kind of faith does God love?  He loves a humble loving faith and we looked at scriptures that talked about having faith like a child.

Today let’s look at last portion of this scripture.

“And that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.”  That on the surface it looks to say God rewards those who really love Him and seek Him.  I believe He does.  God takes pleasure in rewarding His children that love Him and seek Him.  However, this scripture adds a little bit more the way it is written.

This scripture again says because anyone who comes to Him must believe He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek him.  What does that mean?  It means He likes the double dose of faith.

Don’t just believe I exist, but believe that you also will be rewarded by Me if you earnestly seek Me.

This world is full of self seeking people.  God wants to reward those who are chasing after Him and not the world.

What are those rewards?  The same things the world is chasing after?  Five vacation homes, an airplane, a fleet of automobiles, diamonds to cover yourselves in from head to toe?  With a lot of people living in poverty and many without food and clean water, I seriously don’t think so.

No, I believe it comes in the fact he knows you need a home to live in, a car to get around in this country, relationships that are in peace and not in turmoil, health, income to pay the bills, and a spouse that helps you grow towards the most important thing of all and that’s the Lord.  These are just the earthly blessings.  Much more is waiting in the perfect life to come.

Without faith….without faith….it is IMPOSSIBLE….. to please God.  How sad, not to please God and all you had to do is believe that He is and that He cares about you and loves you.  He cared enough to have His Son die for you.  This is the One you need to have faith in and accept His sacrifice of redemption.

If you haven’t accepted Jesus and still don’t know why you should, I have condensed an outline page to the right of why you need to.  If you are ready to do so, there is a page to guide you through that also.

 
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Without Faith It Is Impossible To Please God – Part 1

21 Jul

Hebrews 6:11 – 6And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.

There is a lot to this scripture.  First is the most obvious which is without faith it is impossible to please God.  So the great prize winners out there in this world that don’t have any faith in God, don’t please Him at all.  The athlete that has the whole stadium cheering and on their feet, if he don’t have faith in God, he doesn’t please Him at all.

 God’s not impressed with the scientist who sits back and states that he needs more proof if he is to believe in God.  God takes joy in the little child who has faith and comes asking for help or to tell Him that they love him.

Matthew 11:25-26 –  25At that time Jesus said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. 26Yes, Father, for this was your good pleasure.

Now is it terrible that in that verse it sounds like God wants the wise and learned to perish.  No.  The wise and learned should easily know the God exists and have faith in Him.  Why don’t they?  Pride, anger, special agendas, self seeking, etc, all keep the wise and learned from God.  They should see the obvious things around them and recognize God more than a small child would.

Jesus talking about the children again in Matthew 19 says this:

Matthew 19:14 –14Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”

Does He mean only children belong in Heaven?  No, what he is implying is we need to humble ourselves like little children when seeking our Father who is in Heaven.

Faith is very important and much power comes from it.  Not selfish power, but power that helps the Kingdom of God.

Matthew 17:20 – He replied, “Because you have so little faith. I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”

Now there are those who have tried to be abusive when speaking about this kind of faith.  Usually it’s in the form of asking for worldly possessions.  God will not answer prayer or reward faith that contradicts His Kingdom in any way.  However, if you have faith and it is for the goodness in the Kingdom of God, He wants to move mountains.  Faith pleases God.

Tomorrow we’ll go over another part of this scripture.

 
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Use The Road Map – The Historical One Behind You

19 Jul

So many people ignore the gift of history in their own lives.  Your life is a road map that has already been documented.

How many times do you hear the past is the past, you can’t change it so forget about it.

Nooooooooooooooooooo. 

We need to accept Jesus and have him forgive us of our past.  He also will be forgiving us of our present and future since we are sinners.  Since Jesus is forgiving us of our past, we too need to forgive ourselves of our past and forgive those who have wronged us.

Never forget your past.  It is a wealth of information, experience, which you can use to improve your life in the future.  It can be helpful to someone else who is listening that maybe trying to make the same mistakes.

You remember the famous saying that the only thing we have learned about history is that man refuses to learn anything from history. 

For multiple reasons, it happens to be the case.

Look back on your life.  Take a good hard look at all the significant things that have happened.  Now, why did it happen?  Don’t be afraid to compare a couple of like kind things and evaluate them together.

Never look at things lightly.  There is meaning to almost every major event that sticks out in your mind.

Was God there?

He was there trust me.  If you are one of his saved children, how did it work out for you?  Were you doing something outside of His wants for your life?  Was there correction?  Was it loving?

Proverbs 3:12 – 12 For whom the LORD loves He corrects, Just as a father the son in whom he delights.   

What about those times when you’ve been stubborn, brought to your knees and then when you finally let go and gave the reigns to God, what happened?  He took care of you didn’t He!  No question mark at the end of the sentence on that one.  If you love the Lord and turn it over to Him it will be handled.

So why do we continue to slip back into old habits of going against God’s will and trying to do it ourselves when we know if we just turn it over to Him it will be just fine?

Because we are sinful fallen creatures.

I can tell you in my own personal life I have managed to cut to the chase on this.  Most of the time I turn the situation over to Him immediately and right away the problem is solved.   Believe me the boring roller coaster of few ups and downs is a marvelous ride!

So learn from your past.  Not just in the pitfalls but especially in your victories in the Lord.  Use those to grow in your walk in other areas with the Lord.

 
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Sincere……And Sincerely Wrong Part 2

15 Jul

Part 2 and as always it is better to go down and read part one just below this post first.

We left off with the question of did Satan know the consequents’ that he was causing the human race when he lied to Eve?

Of course He did.

John 8:44 – You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desire. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.

Jesus was talking to a group of Pharisees in the last scripture.

Is Satan done yet?  No.  He’s alive and has more people than ever listening to his voice.  They’re eating their own appealing piece of fruit and thinking to themselves, I surely won’t die.

There is a problem though isn’t there.  Satan is a murderer and a liar and has been from the beginning.  Who’s warning you?  JESUS!      

All roads and ideas are not right.  The person who rolls over and over on the ground for twenty miles a day, because he is sincere in thinking that it will get him to heaven is sincerely wrong.

The person who believes blowing themselves up and killing lots of other people around them are sincere.  They must be sincere to go to that extent, but they are sincerely wrong.

Just because you are sincere in YOUR beliefs doesn’t do anything for you when you’re standing in front of God.  Why?

Because God provided the Way.  His sincerity is the only one that matters. 

What does the little child do when he grows up and still doesn’t want to put the right peg in the right hole?  He either gives up, makes excuses that the shapes don’t have to go in the holes, or cuts a big hole in the middle of the toy and shoves all the shapes into it.

All of us that will be held accountable have the capacity to put the right shape in the right hole.  The right shape is Jesus Christ shedding His (God’s) blood for your sin which is the hole.

If you haven’t chosen Jesus as your Lord and Savior, please do so now.  You get one lifetime to do it, but that lifetime is unpredictable.

Trust me, it is a win now and win later, even if you don’t see it right now.

Don’t be sincerely wrong.

 
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Sincere……And Sincerely Wrong Part 1

14 Jul

We are so bombarded as Americans to respect and except everything around us that we forget that there is a right and wrong.  There are absolutes and there are consequents’ for poor decisions.

A child walks into a classroom.  He picks up one of those toys that have the shapes that are designed to only fit into one hole.  The child begins trying to put the wrong shapes into the wrong hole.  The teacher comes up to the child and says that this circle shape won’t go into square hole.  The teacher even shows the child and helps them stick it in the right hole.  The next time the child is trying to do it again and the teacher is busy with other students.  The child sincerely believes that the peg should fit in the hole they are trying to get it in. 

Is the child sincere?  You bet the child is sincere.  It saw the shape go in before so the child knows it fits.  The child just happens to be sincerely wrong.

A man takes a hallucinating drug.  He gets a thought in his head that he can fly.  He goes up to a 10 story building and looks down.  He thinks to himself I know I can fly, I just know it.  He then dives out and he doesn’t fly.  Was he sincere in his thoughts?  Never mind that he was on drugs, they actually kept him more focused to his task and kept him more positive and sincere in this case.  He was sincere in thinking he could fly.  He was sincerely wrong.

Why is there considered no right and no wrong anymore?  Why is there confusion and how come people struggling with simple absolutes?  I have theory and it goes like this.

Genesis 3:1-5 –   1 Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?”

 2 The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, 3 but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’ “

 4 “You will not surely die,” the serpent said to the woman. 5 “For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

So we have an absolute from the Creator of each and every one of us and of the whole universe.  This absolute in verse 3 was, 3 but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’ “

Not just eat it, but touch it.  God made it clear.

Oh, but that caring freedom monger, a pioneer leading the way, Satan in the form of a serpent, had a better idea than God.

Did Satan know the consequents’ that he was causing human race when he lied to Eve? 

Tune in tomorrow.

 
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Your Life Is Not Your Own

12 Jul

Galatians 2:20 – 20I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

What an awesome scripture.  What does it mean?

It means that when you accepted Christ as your Savior, you died to your old earthly life.  Is this what Jesus wanted?

Matthew 10:38 – 38and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me.

I’d say so.

You see Jesus knows that we need God and Himself.  Why, because we are lost sheep and if we aren’t serving Him and the Father, we not doing what’s right. 

Now I want to go a different direction with this scripture. 

I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.  With that part of the scripture let’s look to another to go with it.

1Corinthians 6:19:20 – 19Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God?  You are not your own; 20you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.

So we are to pick up our cross and follow Him.  We no longer live, but Christ lives in us.  We are not our own, we have been bought with a price.  That price would be the blood of Jesus.

You matter to God.  God is what matters.  Confusing?

Here’s where I’m getting at.  Your life on earth matters to God, but you have been bought with a price.  Your real life is in Heaven.  Only God knows the future of all.  He can see into the future.  He knew you before you were even born.

Here is what I believe and what I feel that scripture supports.  If your death ends up saving or brings more to the Kingdom of God than if you remain alive, you’re going to be in Heaven with the Lord.  Who weighs that out and makes that decision.  God does.  Do I believe He takes all into consideration?  Yes, like only God can.   Your life is not your own, you have been bought with a price.  Your life now belongs to God.  That’s a good thing.  You see you’re not going to die as a saved child of God, unless He says it’s time for you to leave this earth.  Your ministry and race isn’t over until He says it’s over.

However, I believe God can take you home for your own good.  I believe He will can you home for the good of others.  I believe He can take you home and will, if it’s what’s best for the Kingdom.  Why, because God and the Kingdom is what matters.

On the flip side, I believe He can use you as a miracle.  You can end up in a place like Joseph and think to yourself, wow, what did I do to end up here?  God assures us though, that he will never leave us or forsake us or give us more than we can handle.

Your life is not your own, you have been bought with a price.  Praise God that you have been and ask Him, “What can I do for you next Father?”

 
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We All Have A Terminal Disease

07 Jul

Hebrews 9:27 – 27Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment,

Obviously this verse ends in a comma so there is more in the next verse, but this is the part of scripture were going to focus on here.

This thought and idea of the post is inspired by my Pastor Skip Bennett.  He brought this up in his sermon the same day I am writing this.

You find out that you have a terminal illness and you’re going to die.  How are you going to live?

The standard answer most people without God would give would be a lot like this.  I would get all my business together so my family wouldn’t inherit any unfinished headaches I left them with and then I would start at number 1 on the bucket list.

If you are a believer in Jesus Christ the list would or should look a lot like this.  Get things in order so the family is taken care of.  Get your life right with Jesus.  Get your life right with anyone else around you if it’s not already.

I have got news for each and every one of you reading this post and for those who will never read it.  You’re going to die.  Even if one is raptured this body will be changed and will in essence die.

Should we live everyday like it’s our last?  If you’re not, how are you living?  If you thinking to yourself, “Hey Pat, I appreciate you saying were in the end times and all, but I don’t think we are and have a lot of other things to do instead.”

If you’re thinking that way, are you thinking God and Jesus first?  If you’re right and I’m wrong is your plan going to make it better when you finally do stand in front of the Lord?

I know that if I would have started living more like he was coming back everyday back in 1993 to the present, I would have a lot more to present to Him when I finally stand in front of Him.

You can’t go wrong living for Jesus everyday as if it is your last.

On the flip side, you can’t go right if you’re living life for yourself and leaving Him out.

The news is out.  You’re terminally ill and going to die someday.  The ball is your court now on what you want to do with that information.

 
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The Importance Of The Sabbath

05 Jul

I just got done doing a draft on The Law And Jesus Christ.  That prompted me to do this story.  I never know when I’m actually going to post them or which one will be first.

Many people think that the Ten Commandments are a guidance of the Old Testament.  Once Jesus came that we no longer have to worry about the legalism of the Ten Commandments.

Matthew 5:17 –  17“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.

Paul reminds us that we are saved by grace.  We are saved by the blood of Jesus.  This is a fact and Christians today are all about the grace and then I’m free to do what I want.

That’s not how were supposed to live.  There is nothing in the Ten Commandments that we shouldn’t be doing today in our lives.  The number one that comes up is observing the Sabbath.  That is what I want to write on today.

What is important about the Sabbath?  It is suppose to be a day of rest.  During this day of rest we are to recognize and meditate on the Lord.

You don’t think we need that in the hustle and bustle of today.  We’re so busy that most people won’t even give 60 seconds of their day to the Lord.  People are so busy today that they want to spend their weekend on relaxing for themselves.  Yet they have no time for God.

You want to know why you need to go to Church?  You’re doing something for God.  Something you need for yourself also, but something for God. 

If you’re honest with yourself, you can’t possibly be excited to stand in front of God if you have done nothing with Him, for Him, talked with Him, or sought Him.

Don’t finish your life and feel this way when standing in front of the most important Person in the universe that you were suppose to have a relationship with.

By having Jesus as Savior we don’t have the legalistic part of the law, but we need to obey it.  Jesus was upset with the teachers of the Law and other religious Jews concerning the Sabbath.  Why?  Because they got upset with Him, when he was healing on the Sabbath.  Jesus was doing God’s will on the Sabbath.  We need to rest and give more time to God.  It doesn’t have to be legalistic.  That is the importance of the observing the Sabbath.

 
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Ecclesiastes 5:4-5 ; Reflection

03 Jul

Ecclesiastes 5:4-5 – 4 When you make a vow to God, do not delay in fulfilling it. He has no pleasure in fools; fulfill your vow. 5 It is better not to vow than to make a vow and not fulfill it.

However, when you do vow and obey the Lord, it pleases Him greatly.  If we’re not trying to please the Lord, we need to examine and question our path.

 
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The Greatest Commandment In The Bible – Part 3

01 Jul

As stated before, if you haven’t read parts 1&2 yet, please scroll down under this message and read them in order.

Today we finish up the greatest commandment series.  Once again this post was inspired when I had some comments that they were surprised God would have an issue with man trying to create a one world order.  Please refer to the first to parts on that to date. 

Today I want to go over a few more scriptures that conclude God isn’t interested in unity as much as He wants man to put Him at the Head of everything.

What does Jesus have to say in Matthew?

Matthew 10:34-36 –  34“Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. 35 For I have come to turn ” ‘a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law – 36a man’s enemies will be the members of his own household.’   

 Does this sound like a Man (Lord) who is championing peace anyway you see fit.  Come together anyway you want, as long as you do it?  I hardly think so.  It sounds like the same things we have been talking about regarding God in the last couple of days.  God isn’t up for man trying to bring together the world and running it without Him.  What does Jesus say right after the verses above?

Matthew 10:37-39 –  37“Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; 38and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. 39Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.

Jesus is Lord.  Which takes us back to the greatest commandment, ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’

You read about nations becoming very evil in the Old Testament.  You read that the Lord at times doesn’t allow them to be destroyed until they have peaked.  The Lord is slow to anger.  He wants nations to repent, like Nineveh did in the book of Jonah.  God doesn’t want to have to judge one person or nation, but man is fallen and he is evil.  God Loves, but God is also just.

In these last days which we read about in the Bible, man is bringing together a one world government.  God is not the head of this government.  They turn the leadership over to the Antichrist who comes in his own name, not God’s name.  In the Book of Revelation God pours out judgment like that which has never been seen before.  It is for those who don’t love Him.  It’s for those who have rejected Him and His free gift of Grace through his Son Jesus Christ.  It’s for those who hate Him.

You do not have to be a part of this wrath.  God loves you very much.  The gift is free.  It has been paid for by his Son Jesus.

Don’t wait another minute.  If you haven’t accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior go over to the top right hand column and click on “Accept Jesus as Savior” and say that prayer.

If you can’t remember a time when you can say to yourself, I remember asking Jesus into my heart and got saved, you probably haven’t yet.  The time is getting nearer.  Please choose him as Savior and not your Judge.

 
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