WHAT WE NEED NOT WHAT WE WANT
Every Christian ought to have a compassionate heart to invite people to the Saviour.
For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: Matthew 25:35
A few days ago, I visited my brother who was having surgery. I got back home around lunch, so I prepared myself a sandwich, ate it, and sat in my recliner to catch a nap. It wasn’t but a few minutes when I heard a knock at the door. I got up and a homeless lady was standing there. She asked for a ride to the bus station and a ticket to Boston. I told her I didn’t have any money for a ticket and I was not, by myself, taking her to the station. She asked for a Coke or other soda. I didn’t have either so I offered her a bottle of water. It seemed as if it offended her that the only thing I had was water. To make a long story short after talking to her about salvation, she went away with a couple bags of chips and a chip her shoulder.
Many people come looking for something from the Lord. God offers them exactly what they need and they too walk away with a chip on their shoulder. Unfortunately, that chip is what will end up sending them straight to hell.
Friend, if you have come to the Lord looking for something other than salvation, rethink why you came to Him. He didn’t come to give you financial peace. He didn’t come to make your life easy. He didn’t come for you to have your best life now. He came to seek and save that which was lost! He came to save sinners! He came to save you!
JESUS DIED FOR ME AND YOU!
I must die or get somebody to die for me. If the Bible doesn't teach that, it doesn't teach anything. And that is where the atonement of Jesus Christ comes in. –Moody
For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously: Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed. 1 Peter 2:21-24
Jesus came for you-
Jesus lived for you-
Jesus died for you-
Jesus arose again for you-
Jesus is coming again- If you have repented and confessed your sin, He’s coming for you!
MIA- REPENTANCE
Sin and hell are married unless repentance proclaims the divorce. -Spurgeon
The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. 2 Peter 3:9
I believe many people make salvation harder than what scripture proclaims. I believe they read into the Word of God something that just isn’t there. I do not know why they do this other than to make themselves seem to be more intellectual but many people are going to hell because they believe they are not and cannot be part of the chosen few.
While I do believe there will only be a few that repents and comes to Jesus, it’s not because God doesn’t offer it to them, it because many will not repent and choose to serve God. They will not accept Jesus so they choose to spend an eternity in a devils hell.
Have you repented? Have you chosen to serve the Lord? Have you cried out to Him and asked Him to forgive you of your sins? If not—why not? If not now—when? Do not put off today what you’re not guaranteed of tomorrow! “…And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.” Acts 16:31
LIFE IN CHRIST!
With every rising of the sun, think of your life as just begun. –Anonymous
Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. John 14:6
Someone once said, “Invest in your life as if you will live for eternity but live your life today as if it will be your last on Earth.” That was some of the best advice I have ever heard.
Investing in yourself with the Word of God each day will not only help you today but for all of eternity! Just the knowledge of the Bible isn’t enough to save you though, Ye must be born again! Ye are born again if you have asked Jesus to save you, confessed, and repent of your sin! That my friend is how you have life and have it more abundant! That is how you have life in Christ!
Free, Free, Free...I said FREE!
What we mean by salvation is this-deliverance from the love of sin, rescue from the habit of sin, setting free from the desire to sin. –Spurgeon
Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage. Galatians 5:1
This morning, I am reminded of the fact we are free from the grips of sin. Not by anything I have done but by His grace we have the power to say no. We have the power to choose right. We have the power to be delivered from temptation.
How is that preacher; when we yield our mind, our body, our will over to His. Consider this scripture: “This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.” Galatians 5:16-17
Blink and it's gone, are you ready?
Our life is scarce the twinkle of a star in God's eternal day. –Taylor
Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain: Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. James 4:13-14
Seems like when we were in school it took forever for us to graduate. Days were long and summers were longer. Now, a day seems like a few minutes and summers blow by like a ride on a roller coaster.
Friend you and I are not guaranteed another second much less a day. Our life is fleeting away fast and if you haven’t already, the time to get things settle about your eternal destination is now. Isaiah 55:6 says, “Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near:” Now the Lord is not lost but what this scripture is telling us is there will come a time when the Lord’s judgment will come. At that time it will be too late to turn to Him for salvation. This is why Paul shared the importance of getting things settled today, “For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” 2 Corinthians 6:2
Let the Lord fight your battles!
Plead my cause, O Lord, with them that strive with me: fight against them that fight against me. Psalm 35:1
In the mist of turmoil the Psalmist is looking for peace. Those whom he once helped has now turned their backs on him, looking to destroy him. The Psalmist turns to the only One that can do anything about his circumstances- the Lord.
Friend, you and I have those that would like to destroy us. The devil himself would love to see you to sit down and shut up from praising the Lord. Let the Lord fight your battles and you keep on praising Him as the Psalmist did! And my tongue shall speak of thy righteousness and of thy praise all the day long. Psalm 35:28
Caught or Cheering?
But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light: Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy. 1 Peter 2:9-10
I was once caught in sin's traps. The more I tried the deeper the claws of sin dug into my life. Then, one day, the Master Fisher of Men came by and set me free from those traps! He gave me life and liberty. My friend, that is something to cheer about on this Independence Day!
Why does God love me?
Could we with ink the oceans fill and were the skies of parchment made and every stalk on earth quill and every man a scribe by trade, to write the love of God above would drain the oceans dry, nor could that scroll contain the whole though stretched from sky to sky. --Scribbled on an asylum wall
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. John 3:16
I often think about the love of God and wonder what would cause Him to love a wretch such as I. Was it my blood line? Was it my looks? Was it my pedigree? Was it my education? What exactly caused Him to love ME?
Then I am reminded of Romans 5:8, “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” It’s none of those things! He loved and loves me because of who He is! I did not deserve salvation but He provided it anyway! We deserve Hell but God, by grace through faith, gives us Heaven!
Overcome or Overtaken?
Satan would tempt us to despair; but good hope keeps us trusting in God and rejoicing in him. –Henry
Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the LORD. Psalm 31:24
So many things to pull us down. So much going on in this world to leave us hopeless. So much pain and suffering. So much wickedness. So many reasons to be overtaken with temptation. But I am reminded…Greater is He that is in you than He that is in this world! So instead of being overtaken, we can overcome those temptations by Him! Hallelujah what a Saviour!
How did you sleep last night?
When you have accomplished your daily task, go to sleep in peace; God is awake. –Hugo
And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. John 10:28
I see three benefits in this one small but powerful verse:
1. Eternal Life—Those who have been redeemed by the precious blood of Jesus will live forever with Him. My salvation is not by anything I have done. I was brought about by grace through faith!
2. Shall never perish—As the song says, “I’m gonna live forever, I’m gonna die no never…” I will never perish from His care! I will never perish from His love. I will never perish from His hand!
3. Neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand—Safe, secure in the hands of Jesus! There is no better place to be than where He can lift you up out of the cares of this world!
What is keeping you awake at night? Maybe you need to give your life to Jesus so you too can get some sleep!