SETTLE DOWN

Anxiety springs from the desire that things should happen as we wish rather than as God wills. -Anonymous

Philippians 4:6-7, Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

There is so much going on in the world today. A lot of things distract us from what is important. A lot of things get our eyes off the Lord and on our circumstances. A lot of things get us uptight, causing us to be motivated by our feelings rather than being led by the Lord.

Hey friend, settle down! The best way to do that is to GET UP, GET READY, and GO TO CHURCH this morning! Can’t go, watch it online! Don’t have a church, tune into ours! We would love to have you join in!

CONTENT LIVING

Enjoy your own life without comparing it with that of another. -Condorcet

Philippians 4:11, Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.

It’s Monday…again. Many of us will get up, get ready, and go to work. But I have some questions for you. What are we working for? Is it to provide for our kids? Is it to make a house payment? Is it to keep up with our neighbors, friends, or fellow family members? Friend, God gives us work so that we might honor and glorify Him with it.

Whether giving a testimony of Jesus’ work in our life with our co-workers or using the wages we get from working, we can use the job to honor our Lord and Saviour!

YOU GOT IT OR YOU DON’T

One is not working his way to salvation. Either he is saved or he is not, there is no in between.

 1 John 5:10 He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son.

             Is there any conviction in your life when you sin? When you have evil thoughts about someone is there anything inside you that perks up and tells you that you’re wrong for thinking that way? When you go a day or so without reading the Word of God is there a longing to get back to it? Do you have the testimony of the Holy Ghost of God in you? When you miss church, is there a longing to get back under the preaching of God’s Word? If there is no conviction—then His Spirit is not living within you—that means you are lost in your sin and trespasses. We are not in a process of salvation. Either you got it or you don’t.

JESUS IS PEACE

           In His will is our peace. -Dante

2 Thessalonians 3:16, Now the Lord of peace himself give you peace always by all means. The Lord be with you all.

            Go here, do that, do it my way, and then you still get fired. Many people step into a job that way. It seems as if they can’t do anything right and then; BAM, they’re fired. Sometimes, no matter what you do it’s just not right! Peace is about as far away as it ever has been.

            I am glad that even though troubles may come our way, we have a God in Heaven that cares for us! Jesus will bring peace back to the broken hearted. Jesus will make a wild sinner come to Christ! Jesus, will give them a peace that passes all understanding.

FULL OF JOY

           The Christian life that is joyless is a discredit to God and a disgrace to itself. -Babcock

1 John 1:4, And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full.

            Several years ago, while on a mission’s trip, I heard of a story how a woman would walk 8 miles just to come to church. She would get to the church late each week but she still came. She would often hang around all day for the second service. Why did she sacrifice so much; because she wanted to hear more about Jesus! She knew hearing about Him would make her joy full!

            Friend, are you neglecting the House of God? Don’t you think it’s important? Why sacrifice so little when God has given so much?          

            Black said, “I have found that there is a tremendous joy in giving.  It is a very important part of the joy of living.” Joy in giving of our time, talents, and treasures! Don’t forsake time with the Lord friend! You will never become who God wants you to be until you follow His will for your life!

PEACE

           A great many people are trying to make peace, but that has already been done. God has not left it for us to do; all we have to do-is to enter into it. - D.L. Moody

2 Thessalonians 3:16, Now the Lord of peace himself give you peace always by all means. The Lord be with you all.

            Many are looking in the wrong places for peace. They look to drugs. They look to sex. They look to government. They look to their jobs. They look to their kids. They look to social groups. They look to anything and anyone but the One who is peace and that will give it to them.

            Have you been search for peace? Enter into it by trusting Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour.

CHRIST CHANGES PEOPLE

A great many people are trying to make peace, but that has already been done.  God has not left it for us to do; all we have to do-is to enter into it. - D.L. Moody

Luke 2:14, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

People often tell pastors, “When I get my life right, I’ll start coming to church.” Some say, “Preacher, I’ve got some things to take care of before I come to church.” If that is what you’re thinking, you just need to come to church and let the Lord take care of you. You’re not going to change yourself no matter how hard you try. You’ll not have any lasting peace until you give your life to Jesus!

BE IN CHRIST

Jesus Christ is light to the eye, honey to the taste, music to the ear, joy to the heart. -Spurgeon

2 Corinthians 5:17, Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

My brother-in-law and I have a funny song we sing after we get finished eating a meal. Sung to the hymn, “I hear my Saviour Calling”, we sing, “I hear my recliner calling.” It’s a joke that we have been singing for years to put a smile on one another’s face and others when they hear. You know how it is after Sunday lunch, you eat and then you want to go stretch out and take a nap. Getting in that recliner is the first step to that rest that you so eagerly desire.

            Friend, if you’re going to get any rest in this life you better be in Christ. Jesus gives light in the dark times of this life. Jesus is the one that can make the bitterness of life better. Jesus is the one that can give you a song in the midst of trouble. Jesus is the one that brings joy unspeakable and full of glory! Do you know Him as your Saviour? Are you in Christ?

CHRIST BRINGS PEACE

A great many people are trying to make peace, but that has already been done.  God has not left it for us to do; all we have to do-is to enter into it. - D.L. Moody

John 14:27, Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

While there is chaos in the streets, across the oceans, and even in our hearts, there is a God in Heaven offering peace to everyone. He will remove the rage. He will comfort the comfortless. He will bring help and hope into your life. All you have to do is ask Him.

Hey friend, why not GET UP, GET READY, and GO TO CHURCH TODAY with the thought of finding peace for your weary heart? It could be the best day of your life. Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: Isaiah 55:6

NO NEED TO PANIC

            You may trust the Lord too little, but you can never trust Him too much. -Anonymous

John 14:27, Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

            In times like these, it reveals who and what you have put your faith in. Now, I believe we need to be wise in well doing but we don’t need to be gullible! Pay attention to the things going on around you, child of God. Pay attention to the ones promoting the chaos. Pay attention to the words they communicate with their mouths. Pay attention to who they quote and get their information from.

            Child of God, let me take a moment to remind you there is a God in heaven who loves and cares for you! He wants the best for you. He wants to save you from the very thing you are in a panic over. Let Him settle all your fears!

PEACE or PIECES?

“Do you have a peace of mind or a mind in pieces?” — Author Unknown

The two greatest questions I believe that every man, woman, boy and girl has on this planet is "Where did I come from?" and "Where am I going?" I believe when we answer these questions with the Word of God it gives us this peace of mind where before our mind was in pieces.

If you have these questions ringing in your mind, let me challenge you to get into the Word of God and get them settled. You will have questions along the way, don't be afraid to ask. The only dumb question is the one never asked.

Consider a few verses this morning on our state of mind:

Psalm 71:1 In thee, O LORD, do I put my trust: let me never be put to confusion.

Psalm 22:5 They cried unto thee, and were delivered: they trusted in thee, and were not confounded.

2 Timothy 1:7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

1 Peter 2:6 Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded.

PEACE IS SPELLED JESUS

There is no peace where God is not at!

Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. Luke 2:14

So many people are searching for Nirvana, an awakening, tranquility, or some other type of inner peace that only a relationship with Jesus brings. Sure people may travel to distant lands and find a sense of happiness. They may buy large homes that will bring contentment until they have to clean it. They may even have a job that pays large amounts of money and it will buy happiness until the money runs out. But true peace only comes when Jesus is on the throne of your heart!

When Jesus came to Earth as a babe, the Word of God says, peace was on Earth! If you want true, everlasting peace— repent of your sin and trust Jesus as your Saviour! Let Him in your life! Let Him have His way! If He isn’t in your life—you do not have true peace!

GOT REST?

Rest is given through the shed blood of Jesus Christ!

There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God. Hebrews 4:9

Knowing I don’t have to work for my salvation gives me a sense of rest. Knowing all anyone has to do is repent of their sin and trust Jesus as the One who has done everything needed for their salvation brings a heavenly rest that passes all understanding. To some that doesn’t make sense, but it doesn’t change the truth- For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. Ephesians 2:8-9

            Are you still trying to be good enough? Are you still trying to work your way in? Here are two great truths; you’ll never be good enough and you will never work enough to get into Heaven. If you could, then why did Jesus have to die? Friend, trust in the finished work of Jesus Christ as your Saviour and Him alone brings rest!

ACCESSIBILITY IS A NECESSITY

For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father. Ephesians 2:18

             Going in and out of the facilities I work in you must have one of four things; permission, an ID card, a key, or an access card. I have gotten to some of the facilities and the individual I am there to see isn’t on so I cannot get permission to go to the equipment I need to do maintenance on. I have gotten to the administration buildings where you check in at only to realize I left my ID card back in my truck. Every once and a while I’ll pick up the wrong keys getting to the facility and praying someone will be there to let me in to the areas I need to be at. Then, on occasion, the access card I have decides it doesn’t want to work so I cannot get into the building at all. Accessibility is a necessity to get my job done! Accessibility is important!

             Accessibility is a necessity in our walk with Jesus as well! Without access to the source of our strength we will become weak and will be overtaken by Satan. Here are three things you can do to become and remain strong in the Lord.

            One: To have any access to the Father you must be saved. You must repent of your sins, trusting in Jesus as your Saviour. “Ye must be born again.”

            Two: You must be without sin to have access to the Father. “But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.” Isaiah 59:2

            Three: You must speak to Him. “…ye have not, because ye ask not.”

There was a time when we could not come before God because of our sin but now we can because of the precious shed blood of our Saviour Jesus Christ. The only thing that keeps the access line open is a saved, clean life. Do you have that today?

RETURN TO THE JOY YOU ONCE HAD!

For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry. Luke 15:24

While you are alive there is always time for you to return to the joy you once had. When the prodigal son returned home he was expecting the father to put him out with the hired hands, that’s not what he did. He did not rebuke him, chastised him, or punish him for his willful disobedience. What he did do was rejoice in the fact that his son had returned to the family he left. How do you think the son felt? We don’t know but I can’t help but to think his cup was running over!

Been out of the will of God long? There’s room at Calvary for you! The Heavenly Father is waiting for your return.

WHAT WON’T BE THERE?

 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. Revelation 21:4

            We love to dwell on what will be in Heaven. We sing about it, preach about it, and praise the Lord time and time again. There will be streets of gold, walls of jasper, gates of pearl, and the crystal sea are just to name a few. Taking a different view on Heaven, Bro. Doug Ramage wrote a song of what won’t be there; headaches, back aches, age spots, reading glasses, snow, bunions, and arthritis to name a few.

            No matter which view you take, the best thing about Heaven is Jesus! He will be there! He will wipe the tears away! He will destroy death! Peace will reign throughout eternity! The pains of life will be no more!

            I’ll be there, will you be?

HOPE FOR THE HURTING

A man ought to hope within the bounds of reason and the promises of the good old Book.  Hope leans on an anchor, but an anchor must have something to hold by and to hold to. –Spurgeon

Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the LORD his God: Psalm 146:5

When we say there is no hope in this world what we mean is, No hope for real happiness, no hope for real joy, no hope for genuine peace. What the world offers is a temporary fix for a lifelong need. That need can and will only be filled when the heart is filled with God’s grace. When that happens hurting is halted!

So how about it, will you continue to live in hopelessness or will you have Jesus as your Anchor?

THERE’S A CELEBRATION A BREWING!

The beginning of the world’s joys came when God sent His Son to be born in a manger.

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. Lu 2:13-14

Could you imagine the celebration by the shepherds the night when Jesus was born? They were able to see the Messiah! They may have held His hand. They may have picked Him up and made those goo goo eyes that people do. I don’t know what they did when they saw Jesus but I do know what the did after they saw Him. Luke 2:17 says, “And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child.”

That scripture says they made known… not just in their household. Not just in their neighborhood. Not just in their town. Scripture says, “…they made it known abroad…” That means everywhere they went they proclaimed the Good News!

Friend, who is the last person you told about Jesus? When is the last time you share what Jesus did for you? When will you be like those shepherds and celebrate when Jesus came to you by telling others? No better day than today!

I’M GONNA LIVE FOREVER, I’M GONNA DIE NO NEVER!

One of the benefits of salvation is eternal life. The alternative is eternal death.

The LORD knoweth the days of the upright: and their inheritance shall be for ever. Psalm 37:18

Friends are dying, family members are dying, former co-workers are dying, actors and actresses we grew up with are dying, teachers who taught us to read and write are dying, there is death all around us. But one thing I know is true; those that received Jesus as Saviour will only experience the shadow of this physical death, there soul will live on through eternity! Those that have rejected the Lord will taste a horrible second death. That’s the death that will separate them eternally from anything that is remotely good; friends, family, and God Himself.

You want to live forever? You want to have life and have it more abundant? Trust Jesus as your Saviour! Take that step of faith; repent of your sins, confess Him as Lord, and believe He has washed your sins away and walk in the new life only He can give!

For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17

CALM IN THE MIDST OF YOUR STORM

The whole trouble is that we won't let God help us. -Macdonald

He maketh the storm a calm, so that the waves thereof are still. Psalm 107:29

I was listening to the local news yesterday concerning the hurricane that is upon us, the Emergency Management Director said, “In the midst of the storm, if you have an emergency, we will not be able to come rescue you.” I sit there and thought about when I was in the midst of my storm of sin, Jesus not only came to me but He made the storm be still in my heart! He rescued me from the very pits of hell! All I had to do is call out to Him and Him met my need right where I was at!

Are you in the midst of a storm of sin? Jesus can rescue you too! Call out to Him! Repent and confess your sin! He will forgive and the greatest calm that has ever taken place will come upon your soul!