Keep the Faith Now

The Lord isn't slow to do what He promised, as some people think. Rather, He is patient for your sake. He doesn't want to destroy anyone but wants all people to have an opportunity to turn to Him and change the way they think and act. 2 Peter 3:9 (God's Word Translation) Where is the faith of the believer? Have we all gone mad and given in to the lies of the enemy. Today many believers are forfeiting too much of their time to believe in things that have no substance. We are risking our souls to indulge in mirages that we think are promises but are just temporary lures of the devil. He wants every believer to overwhelm themselves with what is pleasurable to the flesh, but forgetting the eternal consequences of disobeying God. Believer's today are deteriorating in sin, we have betrayed ourselves and we have become our own enemy. We can't help it when Satan and His demons tempt us, but when we tempt ourselves, then we tempt God by forcing Him to intervene and rescue

"Then Jesus went to work on his disciples. “Anyone who intends to come with me has to let me lead. You’re not in the driver’s seat; I am. Don’t run from suffering; embrace it. Follow me and I’ll show you how. Self-help is no help at all. Self-sacrifice is the way, my way, to finding yourself, your true self. What kind of deal is it to get everything you want but lose yourself? What could you ever trade your soul for?" Matthew 16:24-26 Message Bible Life selfishly lived ends in death, but life given away for Christ’s sake results in eternal life. Believers are responsible stewards of the gift of physical life and spiritual life! This mad quest for what we see as success or means to having happiness absorbs so much of our time and energy to the place that we miss the central point of Life. What good would it do to make all that money, then die, leave it all behind, and spend eternity empty-handed? We are here for bigger business than to make money. We are called to represen

"And a great windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking into the boat, so that the boat was already filling. But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion. And they woke him and said to him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. He said to them, “Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?” Mark 4:37-40 Precipitation is a fact of life, regardless of the season. In the winter, you get snow, sometimes in the form of blizzards. In the spring, summer and fall you get rain, sometimes torrential downpours. Whatever its form you must always be ready to ride the storm without giving up the hope that storms don't last always, they shall cease and there will be a season of calm. Life storms can occur at anytime no matter who you are. Storms are typically accomapnied sometimes with dangerous conditions and at times propose a multitude of risks

"The Lord says: Cursed is the man who puts his trust in mortal man and turns his heart away from God. He is like a stunted shrub in the desert, with no hope for the future; he lives on the salt-encrusted plains in the barren wilderness; good times pass him by forever. But blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord and has made the Lord his hope and confidence. He is like a tree planted along a riverbank, with its roots reaching deep into the water, a tree not bothered by the heat nor worried by long months of drought. It leaves stay green and it goes right on producing all its luscious fruit." Jeremiah 17:5-8 TLB The man whose trust is in flesh and heart and has departed from the Lord is cursed. Like a twisted desert shrub he does not live, he merely survives. On the other hand, the man who trusts in the Lord is blessed. He is like a flourishing tree with roots by a stream. That man continues to bear fruit even during the heat, especially during the most difficult times in

Dear Children: I will never stop expressing my undying love for you. It has been quite some time that many of you have allowed me to even speak with you, but I knew that I would have that opportunity today. I want you to understand there may not be many days, nor hours, nor minutes, including seconds, that I will return to take my children home. I cannot reveal the day, but I want to assure you that it will be really soon. Please understand this was not my original plan for mankind. From the beginning of time everything I did, I did to create a perfect environment for you, full of beauty and splendor, for your pleasure all the days of your lives. But unfortunately my creation interrupted my vision for mankind. Please be mindful that this act of disobedience would cost us all so much. The cost for me would be a broken relationship with one son Adam, (who represented all of mankind) and the sacrifice of another Son to take the punishment for my disobedient son. The cost for mankind woul

"By this time it was noon, and darkness fell across the whole land until three o’clock. The light from the sun was gone. And suddenly, the curtain in the sanctuary of the Temple was torn down the middle. Then Jesus shouted, “Father, I entrust my spirit into your hands!”* And with those words He breathed His last. When the Roman officer* overseeing the execution saw what had happened, he worshiped God and said, “Surely this man was innocent." Luke 23:44-47 It is the sixth hour which was high noon. For three hours, darkness envelops the land. The sun stops shining as though the world of nature cannot bear to look at what is happening. An old age is closing, but a new one is about to begin for me and you. The temple curtain, which shrouds the Most Holy Place, is torn in two. Jesus summons a last cry. It is a prayer of commitment to God before falling asleep. He dies with His Father’s name on His lips, even the Roman centurion in charge of the execution is greatly moved. Lik

“There was once a man who planted a vineyard, let it out to tenants, and then left home for a long time. When the time came to gather the grapes, he sent a slave to the tenants to receive from them his share of the harvest. But the tenants beat the slave and sent him back without a thing. So he sent another slave; but the tenants beat him also, treated him shamefully, and sent him back without a thing. Then he sent a third slave; the tenants wounded him, too, and threw him out. Then the owner of the vineyard said, ‘What shall I do? I will send my own dear son; surely they will respect him!’ But when the tenants saw him, they said to one another, ‘This is the owner’s son. Let’s kill him, and his property will be ours!’ So they threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. Luke 20:9-15 Why do people reject Jesus? Why do believers hold back, and refuse to commit themselves to Him as Lord? Whatever the motive an individual may have, the decision to reject Jesus is a terrible tragedy.

"They beat Him over the head with a stick, spat on Him, fell on their knees, and bowed down to Him. When they had finished mocking Him, they took off the purple robe and put His own clothes back on Him. Then they led Him out to crucify Him. Then they crucified Him and divided His clothes among themselves, People passing by shook their heads and hurled insults at Jesus: “Aha! You were going to tear down the Temple and build it up again in three days! Now come down from the cross and save yourself!” Mark:15-20,24,29-30 GNT The biblical account of Jesus’ crucifixion reveals few variants from the usual procedure. The fact that Jesus was crucified confirms that His condemnation was pronounced by the Roman procurator Pilate, who alone had the authority to impose this death sentence. Further, the wording on the placard ‘The King of the Jews’ reveals that the crime for which Jesus was condemned was not the Sanhedrin’s charge of blasphemy, but the political crime of high treason, gen

“Can’t you see that the food you put into your body cannot defile you? Food doesn’t go into your heart, but only passes through the stomach and then goes into the sewer.” “It is what comes from inside that defiles you. For from within, out of a person’s heart, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, wickedness, deceit, lustful desires, envy, slander, pride, and foolishnes. All these vile things come from within; they are what defile you.” Mark 7:18-23 There are many foods that we consume on a daily basis that really destroy our bodies. Many of us eat food that cause physical sicknesses and disease that can result in a poor quality of life or even physical death. Many foods that we consume and the amounts of them is what destroys the temple. But what about the junk that is already in us? As well as trying to discipline ourselves on what goes in, we ought to discipline ourselves to control the behaviors that come out. For it is not what goes in the mout

"The light will be among you a little longer. Continue on your way while you have the light, so that the darkness will not come upon you; for the one who walks in the dark does not know where he is going. Believe in the light, then, while you have it, so that you will be the people of the light.” John 12:35-36 GNB Have you ever had a crisis in which you deliberately and emphatically and recklessly abandoned everything? It is a crisis of will. You may abandon your will many times externally, but it amounts to nothing. The real deep crisis of abandonment is reached internally, not externally. Have you deliberately committed your will over to Jesus Christ? It is a transaction of will, not of emotion, most times in service or in prayer we give up things and it is only an emotional transaction and never an internal one. Your emotion is simply the gilt-edge of the transaction. If you allow your emotions to be first, you will never make the transaction. Do not ask God what the tr

"But those who wait on the LORD, Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint." Isaiah 40:31 NKJV BIBLE Most of us, when waiting on circumstances to change, panic and live in such despair. Instead of praising the Lord, we complain, get angry and act as though God does not know our situation or have any concern for us. But God knows how we feel and just what our fears are, and He has the adequate means to meet our needs. It's all about trusting God for every situation. If we trust ourselves, we will faint and fall, but if we wait on the Lord by faith, we will receive strength for the journey. The word wait does not suggest that we sit around and do nothing. We should be serving and doing the will of the Lord until something happens in our situation. As we wait on God, He will renew our strength, renew means to exchange, it's like this we exchange our weakness, in retu

"The time will come when people will not listen to sound doctrine, but will follow their own desires and will collect for themselves more and more teachers who will tell them what they are itching to hear. They will turn away from listening to the truth........" 2 Timothy 4:3 Good News Bible Preach us a sermon, Preacher, But don’t preach very long; Just tell the story of Christ’s love, But don’t condemn the wrong. Say not a thing of false doctrines, others might get offended. We don't want people to turn away from us or call us narrow minded. Preach us a sermon, Preacher, But don’t preach very plain; Let others guess at what you mean; Don’t ever call a name; We’ll sing your praises loud and long, And we will praise you many a day, But if you make it clear, you will hear, I don't like this church, I'm out of here. Preach us a sermon, Preacher, But say nothing of our sins; Let us keep on like we have done; And perhaps we’ll make amends. Please let u

"The weight of stone and sand is nothing compared to the trouble that stupidity can cause. Sensible people will see trouble coming and avoid it, but an unthinking person will walk right into it and regret it later." Proverbs 27:2,12 Good News Bible How long will we live in the state of regret. Many of us can't even count the countless mistakes we have made, the chances we have taken, and the things we have lost as a result of not thinking. In today's society people are so impulsive, whatever comes to mind is how most people respond to every day life. Life can already be a challenge, but whenever one is faced with any challange, offer or opportunity, we need to sit back and really think about the choices we make. Will it benefit me for the moment or will this choice be something of value that I will not regret in time to come. One of the definitions for stupidity is, extremely rash or thoughtless behavior. Some of us act out of extreme thoughtless behavior,

"Live creatively friends. If someone falls into sin, forgivingly restore him, saving your critical comments for yourself. You might be needing forgiveness before the day's out. Stoop down and reachout to those who are oppressed. Share their burdens, and so complete Christ's law. If you think, you are too good for that, you are badly deceived." Galatians 6:1-3 The Message Bible However perplexed you may at any hour become about some question of truth, one refuge and resource is always at hand, you can do something for someone besides yourself. At the times when you cannot see God, there is still open to you this sacred possibility, to show God, for it is the love and kindness of human hearts through which the divine reality comes home to men, whether they name it or not. Let this thought, then stay with you, there may be times when you cannot find help, but there is no time when you cannot give help. "George Merriam" We each have a load to bear, made up

"It is your own face that you see reflected in the water and it is your own self that you see in your heart." Proverbs 27:19 The Good News Translation What and who do others see in you? The condition of our hearts will determine what we say, what we do, the places we will hang out at and the friends that we choose. Our lives are a reflection of what is in our hearts. Many people always determine a feeling as to what is in your heart. People say I really love God and He knows this because He knows my heart. But our behavior is in opposition to any love that we say we have for Him. The book of Jeremiah describes the heart that God knows of man. "Who can understand the human heart? There is nothing else so deceitful; it is too sick to be healed I, the LORD, search human minds and test human hearts. I treat each one according to the way he lives, according to what he does.” Jeremiah 17:9 The heart refers to the mind, the source of thinking, feeling, and action. I

"A man who refuses to admit his mistakes can never be successful. But if he confesses and forsakes them, he gets another chance. Blessed is the man who reveres God, but the man who doesn't care is headed for serious trouble." Proverbs 28:13-14 TLB A mask is defined as a form of disguise. It is an object that is frequently worn over or in front of the face to hide the identity of a person and by its own features to establish another being. This essential characteristic of hiding and revealing personalities or moods is common to all masks. After a person sins he may try to conceal that fact from God and from others. But hiding sin never pays off, including the fact that we can never hide anything from God. Nothing prospers for the individual who tries to cover their wrongs, even their hurts or their fears. The enemy of your soul would love for you to live your life undercover, this makes him a very happy enemy when the people of God choose not to reveal their true iden

"So, then, be careful how you live. Do not be unwise but wise, making the best use of time because the days are evil. Therefore, do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. Stop getting drunk with wine, which leads to wild living, but keep on being filled with the Spirit. Then you will recite to one another psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. You will sing and make music to the Lord with your hearts. You will always give thanks to God the Father for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. And you will submit yourselves to one another out of reverence for Christ." Ephesians 5:15-20 ISV Bible Those who are wise will have a right attitude to time. The world in which we live is filled with dangers and deceptions. It is not always easy to live an enlightened life even when we want to. We can get tripped up or ambushed by events and people without even being aware of the danger. We must be very careful to live our life rooted in wisdom, using our time wi

"But of this be assured: if the householder had known at what time the burglar was coming, he would have been awake and alert and watching and would not have permitted his house to be dug through and broken into. You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour and a moment when you do not anticipate it." Luke 12:39-40 AMP Jesus states that just as the owner of a house does not know when the burglar is coming but must be at all times ready to protect his property, so also believers do not know when their Master will return, and should, accordingly, always be prepared in mind and heart. When least expected, He arrives. At an hour that you do not expect Jesus will return. Is your security system any good? Are you telling others about Christ return, but yet, you have not taken heed to the warnings for yourself? Burglars broke into a New York firm which manufactures burglar-proof glass. To get in, they smashed a big glass-panel door. They got away with about

"Lord if you keep in mind our sins then who can ever get an answer to his prayers? But you forgive! What an awesome thing this is! That is why I wait expectantly, trusting God to help, for He has promised. I long for Him more than sentinels long for the dawn." Proverbs 130:3-6 Whatever our condition, we must continue to wait on God. Sometimes we may experience great trouble and affliction and be at an utter loss of what to do, sinking and drooping, but we have the priviledge to call on God. In spite of all our sins God still comes to our aid. We don't deserve our prayers to be answered but God's love for us is so awesome, He forgives us and will help us in the times of trouble. Waiting for God is no easy task, especially for those of us who have a problem with waiting. We want everything to happen when we want, but the best things in life do come to those who wait on it. So as you sit and wait for Him do not think that your waiting is in vain, God's timing is

"The Lord knows those who are really His, and a person who calls himself a Christian should not be doing things that are wrong. Run from anything that gives you the evil thoughts that young men often have, but stay close to anything that makes you want to do right." 2Timothy 2:19-20 The Living Bible How are you living? These days it is very hard to tell the difference between believers and unbelievers. We have become so accustomed to secular ways that people even find scripture to justify why the church has to adapt to today's culture. I know that the church can't be the church of twenty or thirty years ago, but holiness is right and that doesn't change. I understand the need to reach out to this culture, so that many can get to know Christ, but the way some beleivers are living is out of order! We have traded holiness in for every ungodly pleasure and we are loving it instead of loving God. Many in the church are very young, are gifted and called to the work

"But you are the ones chosen by God, chosen for the high calling of priestly work, chosen to be a holy people, God’s instruments to do his work and speak out for him, to tell others of the night-and-day difference he made for you—from nothing to something, from rejected to accepted." I Peter 2:9-10 Msg. Bible "But now, up on your feet—I have a job for you. I’ve hand-picked you to be a servant and witness to what’s happened today, and to what I am going to show you.‘I’m sending you off to open the eyes of the outsiders so they can see the difference between dark and light, and choose light, see the difference between Satan and God, and choose God. I’m sending you off to present my offer of sins forgiven, and a place in the family, inviting them into the company of those who begin real living by believing in me." Acts 26:16-18 (The Message) We are a chosen people, which immediately takes us to the grace of God. God did not choose us because we were good or

"Wave upon wave of destruction rolls over the land, until it lies in utter ruin; suddenly, in a moment, every house is crushed. How long must this go on? How long must I see war and death surrounding me? Until my people leave their foolishness, for they refuse to listen to me; they are dull, retarted children who have no understanding. They are smart enough at doing wrong, but for doing right they have no talent, none at all." Jeremiah 4:20-22 The Living Bible God is like a heartbroken parent warning about the disastrous results of a choice of life-style. However, God allows everyone the freedom to determine his or her own life and destiny. God agonizes at the intensity of sin that still dwells within the hearts of His people. We have been called out to be God's very own, but still have no understanding of Him and what He requires of His children. The word calls us retarted and blockheads who really don't know God. Instead of seeking relationship with Him we searc

"Then the owner of the house shall come and report to the priest, It seems to me that there may be leprosy in my house! The priest shall order the house to be emptied before he examines it, so that everything in the house will not be contaminated if he decides that there is leprosy there." Leviticus 14:35-36 Leprosy may be a broad generic term for any number of eruptive skin diseases and disorders. Indeed, specific identification of the disease so named in the biblical accounts with that now called leprosy (from the formerly more general Latin loanword lepra) or Hansen’s disease was not made until the Middle Ages when the disease became widespread in Europe. The biblical descriptions of leprosy are not clinically precise, and the necroses associated with Hansen’s disease are apparently not in view in the Bible. “Leprosy” in garments and buildings was caused by mold, rot, or fungus. The extensive code for dealing with “leprosy” is one means of stressing the separation of t

"O Lord don't turn back your tender mercies from me! My only hope is in your love and faithfulness. Otherwise I perish, for problems far too big for me to solve are piled higher than my head. Meanwhile my sins, too many to count, have all caught up with me and I am ashamed to look up. O my God you are my helper. You are my Savior, come quickly, and save me. Please don't delay!" Psalms 40:11-12,17 TLB Double trouble demands a double deliverance! Not only are we dealing with trouble we created for ourselves, but we have to deal with our enemies as well. God I am counting on you to free me of my past and deliver me from my present distress, for at this moment I am in over my head and at times I am ashamed to look up, because I feel like my present struggles are as a result of my past mistakes. But only you O God faithful full of tender mercies can free me from this pit that I'm in. It seems like things are good for a while then something else that I have former

"Stay always within the boundaries where God's love can reach and bless you. Wait patiently for the eternal life that our Lord Jesus Christ in His mercy is going to give you. Try to help those who argue against you. Be merciful to those who doubt. Save some by snatching them from the very flames of hell itself. And as for others, help them to find the Lord by being kind to them, but be careful that you yourselves aren't pulled along into their sins. Hate every trace of their sin while being merciful to them as sinners." Jude 21-23 TLB As we watch the rescue efforts of many trying to save those in Japan from the terrible devastation that has hit that country, I can't help but be reminded of the great rescue mission that we have been assigned to. Japan's death total is now over 10,000, but the great hope that we see is there are many who are being rescued daily. We regret the lost of those who did not survive, but we must praise God for those that have been r