YOU MEAN GOD DOESN’T HEAR ALL PRAYERS?

God is not a cosmic bellboy for whom we can press a button to get things. -Fosdick

If I regard iniquity (SIN) in my heart, the Lord will not hear me: Psalm 66:18

        Do you remember when you were growing up and you disobeyed your parents and they got furious with you? Do you remember feeling like they were thousands of miles away yet they were just in the next room? Do you remember what it took to regain the relationship, to be able to talk with them once again? You had to ask for forgiveness. You had to say, “I’m sorry.”

        For the lost person reading this post, the Lord will only hear one prayer from you. That is the prayer of faith, when you ask Him to save you, agreeing with Him you are a sinner in need of a Saviour. After that prayer we must confess our sin as often as we commit sin. When we acknowledge the sin in our life, He will forgive! Time and time again!

        Consider what John says in 1 John 1, “And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full. This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.”

LORD GIVE US REAL MEN!

When men surrender themselves to the Spirit of God, they will learn more concerning God and Christ and the Atonement and immorality in a week, than they would learn in a lifetime, apart from the Spirit. --John Brown

Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong. 1 Corinthians 16:13

I may and probably have said this before but it is worth repeating time and time again; WE NEED MEN TO TAKE A STAND FOR THE LORD! Those Words in 1 Corinthians, “quit you like men”, has a meaning of not to be blown away by every wind of doctrine, to put forth all your strength and courage, and once and for all to be brave and valiant men. That is something we are lacking in the world today—REAL MEN!

What do I mean by Real Men? Real Men will stand up for the Lord and be counted with Him. Real Men will not be afraid to admit when they are wrong. Real Men will love their wives as Christ loved the church and gave Himself for it. Real Men will point others to the Saviour. Real Men will love their kids and not forsake teaching them how to love the Lord and other people! Real Men will provide financially for their family.

Real Men…WHERE ARE YOU?

DO YOU WANT A GOOD NIGHT’S SLEEP INSTEAD OF NIGHTMARES?

A sleeping pill will never take the place of a clear conscience. –Cantor

Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you. 1 Peter 5:7

I’m not sure about you but there have been times in my life that I couldn’t get much sleep. There was such a burden about a situation it consumed my thought life. Waking up in the middle of the night with those very thoughts on my mind became almost an every night event. They affected me physically, mentally, and spiritually.

Sometimes the problem was conscience sin I had committed, at other times it was the sin of not trusting the Lord while in a difficult circumstance. Over the course of those times I have found, time and time again, the best place for me to be was on my knees. On my knees praying for forgiveness, on my knees begging for God to intervene, on my knees asking God to move mountains that only He could move.

Child of God, be reminded of this awesome truth this morning, “He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.” Proverbs 28:13

With God’s mercy comes one of the best night’s sleep a man, woman, boy, or girl can have!

GET UP, GET READY, and GO TO CHURCH!

            The Church is not a gallery for the exhibition of eminent Christians, but a school for the education of imperfect ones. -Beecher

            And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us. Luke 2:15

On the first Christmas I see shepherds tending their sheep in the field. I see night had come and I imagine they were tired from the day’s responsibilities. I see there may have plenty of work left to do before getting a few winks. But what I don’t see are excuses. They said, “Let us go even unto Bethlehem”. They didn’t care they were tired. They didn’t care about the work that needed to be done. They didn’t care about anything other than going to see the Messiah. They saw a need to go and worship Him!

Have you already planned your day leaving out the most important part? Have you laundry to do, leaves to blow, or sleep to catch up on? STOP! Don’t let another opportunity pass you by! GET UP, GET READY, and GO TO CHURCH!

YOU PLAY WITH FIRE YOU’RE GONNA GET BURNT!

            When a man who professes to be converted says that he goes into the world and into sin for pleasure, it is as if an angel went to hell for enjoyment. -Spurgeon

            And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them. Ephesians 5:11

            A friend of mine shared a story once of how he wanted to win a friend to the Lord. He started visiting with him almost every weekend. They worked on projects together, went out to eat, and even vacationed together. Instead of my friend winning his friend to the Lord, he found himself having a beer with his friend. Instead of him being the Godly influence in his friend life, his friend drug him back into the sin which killed many of my friend’s family members.

            Someone once said, “If you don’t have any lost friends, get some!” However, don’t let those lost friends become your only friends and don’t let that become your only fellowship. If you do, it won’t be long until the fires of sin will burn you! Who or what are you willing to sacrifice for those few minutes of happiness? Let me remind you of one other portion of scripture, “Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?” 2 Corinthians 6:14

JUST GIVE ME MY SWEET TEA!

When you taste and seen the Lord, nothing else satisfies!

O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him. Psalm 34:8

            A few years ago, after a long day at work, I went to MY refrigerator to get a glass of tea. My wife’s sister and brother-in-law had come over for dinner. I opened the fridge, grabbed the jug, poured me a BIG ole glass, turned it up, and went to guzzling. YUCK! Who put unsweet tea in MY fridge???? Well, to make this story short, my wife had made my brother-in-law the pitcher of tea. But since then He has been converted! He’s a sweet tea man now!

            You may ask, “What in the world does this have to do with the Christian life?” When you have tasted and seen what the Lord can do for you the fake imitations of this world will not satisfy! No matter what you try to substitute that relationship with nothing else satisfies like having a relationship with the Lord!

           Relationships come in all sorts and sizes. They may be wrapped in some pretty paper, a nice paint job, a fat pay check, a gallon jug, or a great figure. They may even bring happiness for a while, but the joy that comes when you have tasted and seen the real deal, the Lord Jesus…NOTHING tastes the same! Not even sweet tea!

DO YOU KNOW A PHONY?

Every Christian is either a missionary or an imposter. –Spurgeon

And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. Mark 16:15

Do you ever wonder about someone who proclaims with their mouth they are saved but yet you never hear them say anything about Jesus? You never see anything posted on their wall, posted in a tweet, or shared on Snap Chat. When you bring up things about the Lord it’s as if they change the subject immediately. Hum, maybe they're a phony?

However, if one would’ve seen Lot in Sodom one would have come to the conclusion he wasn’t a Child of God. So what are we to do? Be a fruit inspector! Jesus said, “Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.” Matthew 7:20 Check out what people are saying and doing. Ask them the tough questions about life. Point them to the Saviour! And if some of them are found to be lemons, beware of them! They will make life sour!

WILL YOU NOT BELIEVE?

           Whoso draws nigh to God one step through doubtings dim, God will advance a mile in blazing light to him. –Unknown

           If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. James 1:5-6

           I recently read a short story of a young boy who had lost faith. His father had died and he had stepped up to be the man of the house. His mother was a faithful woman who kept pointing her son The Lord. One winter’s night, when it looked as if there wouldn’t be enough wood for the rest of the winter, Mom and her children set down to pray for the Lord to provide. The boy got up from praying and with doubt in his voice said, “I’ll head out tomorrow to go find some wood.”

            That night there was an unusual boisterous wind. At day light the young boy went outside to find the wind had blown drift wood up onto their side of the river bank, plenty for the winter’s bitter cold. The young boy ran and told Mom the news. Mom said, “See son, your God is real and He cares for His children.”

            Are you having a hard time taking God at His Word? Why not trust Him through the doubt one step at a time. Before you know it you might just be walking with Him every day!

HEY YOU GUYS…IT’S ALL GOOD!

When I consider my crosses, tribulations, and temptations, I shame myself almost to death, thinking what are they in comparison to the suffering of my blessed Savior Jesus Christ. --Martin Luther

But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy. 1 Peter 4:13

You got laid off and Christmas is on its way. You had to go to the doctor this month and there isn’t enough money to pay the rest of the bills. Your car sounds like a freight train and it looks like you’re crop dusting while you’re on the way to town. Little Johnny needs a filling and Mary Jo needs a new pair shoes. Boy, life piles up sometimes don’t it?

Child of God, don’t fret! You’re Heavenly Father knows the needs and He takes care of His own! Time and time again God has stepped in to give hope when all looked hopeless! The Children of Israel while in Egypt, The Widow at Zarephath, The Disciples with the multitude, and when some looked at the Saviour on the Cross felt as if all hope was lost. Be patient, be persistent, but most of all be in prayer Child of God! I am reminded of Philippians 4:6, Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.

THIS LITTLE LIGHT OF MINE, I’M GONNA LET IT SHINE, LET IT SHINE, LET IT SHINE!

There are two ways of spreading light: to be the candle or the mirror that reflects it. –Wharton

Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. Matthew 5:16

Some years ago a friend of mine started a new business, head light cleaning. He got on me about having my head light lenses cleaned worse than a hound dog on a hunt. Every time I saw him, “Jay, when you going to let me clean those lights? Jay, when you going let me hook you up?” Finally, I gave in. He did my wife’s car. I was like, WOW! What a difference! I didn’t realize how dirty those head lights had gotten over the years!

Many of us get dirty in this old world we live in. We go to work having to hear dirty jokes, foul language, and a host of other unholy comments throughout our day. After a while, we too get a coating of filth on our eyes and ears. We become calloused to the filth. Where once our light was clearly seen now it is just a flicker in a corner.

Child of God, what has dimmed the light God lit many years ago? Rekindle the Fire of your life sharing it to a lost, dying, and hurting world! Clean the mirror reflecting the Light of God. Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine!

GET UP, GET READY, and GO TO CHURCH!

Many people waste a lot of their lives gazing at the world!

Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee. Isaiah 26:3

Fancy cars, fast women, luxurious houses, the next bar scene, thousands of Facebook friends, and whatever your heart places before our Lord and Saviour will send a lost man straight to hell and a saved man to an early grave. Isaiah says if you want peace in your heart, keep your mind on Jesus! Why? How? When?

Why— For a peace that passes all understanding. (Peace in knowing what happens after this life is over!)

How— With the love of God in your heart. (By going to Sunday School and Church!)

When— Continuously. (In the morning, at noon day, in the evening—keep your eyes and ears open to the things of God!)

I’m full!

I thought I could have leaped from earth to heaven at one spring when I first saw my sins drowned in the Redeemer's blood. –Spurgeon

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

            When somebody realizes Jesus died for THEM and they ask the Lord to save THEM, a peace that passes all understanding comes over them they have never felt before. It’s as if a huge burden is pulled out of their heart and joy fills the emptiness that sin has weighed them down with. Tears of joy start trickling down the cheeks of the repentant sinner. Chuckles of joy start to leap out of the heart. A settled joy of knowing everything is going to be just fine. Why does this joy fill our life, because Jesus fills our heart with the joy no one else can give—a lasting joy. What a reminder of this everlasting joy in Isaiah 51:11, “Therefore the redeemed of the LORD shall return, and come with singing unto Zion; and everlasting joy shall be upon their head: they shall obtain gladness and joy; and sorrow and mourning shall flee away.”

Will You Stand?

God is searching for men who are unique, thoroughly saved, and filled to running over with His spirit. God and the world need men who will stand in the gap.... --Frank Carlson

And I sought for a man among them, that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it: but I found none. Ezekiel 22:30

As time flies on by, more and more men are slipping away from church and into a life of sin! Satan has attacked us at the very foundation of our Belief. The Word of God has been attacked and is being taken out of every day life. We hear it no more in our schools. We see it no more in our courtrooms. We aren't allowed to share it on some streets anymore. How did this happen? How did a once truly Christian Nation ALLOW Satan to have a foot hold in America? Because men wouldn't stand in the gap! Men have become sissys! Men have become cowards!

It's time for men to stand up and take control of their lives back. It's time to get real about the battle before us! It is time for us to stand in the gap for our Lord and Saviour!

God has instituted the man to be the leader of the house. So men, LEAD! Single women and single parent women, take the lead in your house until God gives you a real man that will lead you in the paths of righteousness. Don't settle for Satan's Wimps! Strive for God's Warriors!

Stand Up or Sit Down

Compromise in the Pulpit leads to Compromise in the Pew.

And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD. Joshua 24:15

There are many Biblical Leaders that show what it means to stand on the Word of God. I believe if there is compromise in the Pulpit on the Word of God then it will not be long before the Pew will be compromising not just in this area but in areas of modesty, music, morality, and money. Brethren, these things ought not be so!

In other words let me put it this way, I believe if the Pastors, Evangelist, and the Missionaries in the Pulpit compromise on the King James Bible, then it will not be long before they see in the pew; Modesty mixing with the world’s mixed messages, Music that feeds the flesh instead of exalting the Saviour, Morals thrown out the door for the sake of fitting in, and Money the Lord asked for being used for material gain.

We in the Pulpit must decide whether we are for the Lord or for building big churches with our name on the outside. We must STAND UP FOR THE LORD OR JUST SIT DOWN before we lead someone away from holy living or worse lead them to hell.

Consider these verses:

Elijah when he proclaimed, “…How long halt ye between two opinions? if the LORD be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him. And the people answered him not a word.” 1 Kings 18:21

The Lord Himself said in Matthew 6:24 “No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.”

Self Exam Needed

I think the moments we are nearest to heaven are those we spend at the Lord's table. –Spurgeon

But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup. 1 Corinthians 11:28

Before one takes communion there ought to be a self examination of a few things:

1.         Examine whether you are in the faith- Are you saved? Have you received Him as Lord and Saviour?        “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.” Romans 10:9

2.         Examine whether you have been faithful- How’s your faith? ”…Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.” Mark 9:24

3.         Examine whether you have been fruitful- Have you been serving; in what ways? “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.” Mark 16:15

NO PROFANITY NEEDED

Profanity is the weak immature mind attempting to express itself.

Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be. James 3:10

It is a sad day when one cannot even carry on a conversation with a grown adult without every other word coming out of their mouth being profane and vile. Yet, this is where we are at in America. Go to the checkout counter at the local grocery store and have a problem with the receipt. Visit your favorite restaurant and get the wrong order. Share your beliefs on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram and you will get an ear full of wicked words from foul mouths! Even worse is when it is from so called “Christians”.

Child of God, how is your testimony when it comes to the language you use? It doesn’t have to be vile and wicked. It could be just lazy lips gossiping about co-workers, fellow church members, or family. Zip those lips and save what you have to say to the Lord in prayer! Take your mom's advice, if you don't have anything good to say, don't say anything at all! 

BAPTISM— DON’T GET THE CART BEFORE THE HORSE.

The greatest of all miracles is the salvation of a soul. -Spurgeon

And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. Acts 8:37

Baptism is a wonderful time in a person’s life. However, it is not for everyone, it is only for the repentant believer. The one who has trusted Christ as Saviour is the only candidate for baptism. It is not for the infant, the one who has reached a certain age, the one who has repeated a prayer, or for church membership. It is only for those who have confessed their sin, asked Jesus to forgive their sin, and trusted Him to do it. Scripture has a clear definition of baptism.

Baptizing is the representation of what has taken place in our heart. It is us identifying with the death, (Rendering your will to that of the Lord’s), the burial, (The submersion in water), the resurrection, (The coming up out of the water resurrected to new life). How can one be baptized but has not already taken place in their heart?

Friend, don’t get your cart before the horse. If you get baptized before you get saved all you really did was get wet. I close this morning with a verse from Mark. Notice with me which the emphasis is on, the belief or the baptism. Hint—only one will damn someone to hell for all eternity, “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.” Mark 16:16

GET UP, GET READY, and GO THANK YOUR SAVIOUR AT CHURCH!

Earth, with her thousand voices, praises God. –Coleridge

Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. Philippians 4:6

I am thankful I can thank my Saviour anywhere and at anytime! But what a blessed privilege you and I have to gather with fellow believers to sing, praise, and worship our Saviour! Don’t take it for granted! Don’t forsake it! Don’t make excuses! Don’t give place to the devil by not going! Just get up, get ready, and go!

I DON’T WANT TO BE BITTER ANYMORE!

A bitter spirit leads to a frowning face!

Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled; Hebrews 12:15

Many in this life are walking around with wrinkles on their face because they have not dealt with strife in their life. They have swept issues under the rug so long that the issues are so large they are tripping over them and they have begun to stink up their life. Instead of following Biblical instructions they have ignored, dismissed, and even denied the issues exist becoming bitter old men and women.

Friend, if you have problems with your employer, talk with them. If you have issues with a fellow church member, talk with him/her. If you have ought with a sibling or parent, talk with them. Don’t put it off! If you do, you will eventually have a permanent frown on your face.

MAN’S ONLY HOPE—JESUS

When you say a situation or a person is hopeless, you are slamming the door in the face of God. –Allen

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

There are people we come in contact every day of the week in need of The Saviour. Many of them we have condemned to hell because we do not believe God will save them. This happens because there is a disconnect between our understanding of who God is and at what links He has gone and will go to save someone. Let me take a moment to remind us all that JESUS left heaven to sacrificially give of Himself to die for man’s sin. There was not any certain sins but for all sin! So, Child of God the next time you see the drug addict, the whore monger, the reprobate, the scorner, the liar, the thief, or the adulterer be reminded that JESUS died for their sin too!