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. ...