SWEET FORGIVENESS
In taking revenge a man is but equal to his enemy, but in forgiving he is set free.
Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men. Romans 12:17
Sure is a whole lot better to forgive than not to. It keeps marriages together. It keeps friendships together. It allows us to keep a job. There are so many ways forgiveness impacts our lives that it would be impossible for me to list them all. But one thing is for sure, if Christ had not forgiven us we would still be dead in our sin!
WILL YOU?
Coming in contact with the Saviour changes us from being dead to being alive in Jesus!
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.
There are a lot of things going on under the umbrella of Christianity that is far from Christian. Christian liberty is being stretched into lascivious living. The standards Christianity once had has departed and unless a great revival comes we are fighting a battle that should’ve never been fought. We long for another Great Awakening but it’s not going to happen with soft, shallow Christians at the helm.
Child of God, hold the line! Fill in the gap! Be the man or woman God wants you to be not what the world does. Hip, punk, carnal Christians are being the example our kids don’t need. We need Men and Women, Boys and Girls sold out for the cause of Christ. We need soul winners telling others about Jesus! Will you be counted with Jesus? Will you stand up for Him? Will you?
Listen Up
It’s one thing to hear a sermon, it’s another to listen to the message.
Proverbs 1:5, A wise man will hear, and will increase learning; and a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels:
Every preacher I know wants the congregation to not only hear what he is saying but to listen to it as well. He doesn’t want the congregation to listen to his vain words that will not do anything for them. He wants them to heed to thus saith the Lord. He wants them to receive the powerful, life changing, perfect Word of God. If he didn’t, I wouldn’t want to hear him!
Are you willing to listen to what God’s Word has to say about your life? Are you willing to let Him change your life? Listen up, it’s no game we are talking about—it’s eternity and that’s something you don’t want to be playing around with!
INVEST IN YOUR KIDS
The educated man is the one who refuses to view the world from the steeple of his own church. -Missionary Tidings
It is never too early to start training our children. Some studies say, reading to children while they are in the mother's womb makes them smarter. But what are we teaching them? Are we instructing them in righteousness or are we teaching them the way of the world?
Fast forward a few years from the womb. We might be taking the kids to church every time the doors are opened but are we living Christ before them? How about the places we go? How about the things we watch? How about how we conduct business? How about the way we treat our spouse? How about the way we talk about the church? How about the way we talk about fellow believers? How about the way we take criticism? How about how we treat the policeman that just pulled us over for speeding? How about how we act when driving? How about the way we treat the pastor? How about where we spending our money? Yes, we could continue on but I think you get the point.
Do you truly teach your kids from the view point of the Word of God? Do you not only teach them with your mouth but with your life as well? Hypocritical Christian living is one of the things that is killing families all over. Dads, will you take the lead in your home? Moms, will you be there to be their help meet?
Proverbs 22:6, Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.
Ephesians 6:4, And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.
Proverbs 29:17, Correct thy son, and he shall give thee rest; yea, he shall give delight unto thy soul.
Colossians 3:21, Fathers, provoke not your children to anger, lest they be discouraged.
Shine On
Where one man reads the Bible, a hundred read you and me. -D.L. Moody
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
If we were to write a book of your life, every aspect of it, how would it read? Would it be like a horror story—every turn you make there is uncertainty and fear? Would it be like a comedy—you don’t take anything too serious, so your Christianity doesn’t get in your way of a good laugh? Would it be a love story—where you love God so much that you are willing to do whatever it takes to honor and glorify your Saviour?
Know this, someone is reading your life right now. What are they reading about the Saviour?
LET YOUR LIGHT SHINE!
The people of God ought to be the happiest people in all the wide world. People should be coming to us constantly and asking the source of our joy and delight. –Tozer
Mathew 5:16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.
I was once told, “You wear your Christianity on your shoulders.” I think it was meant to be an insult but to me it was a huge compliment! Praise the Lord when someone sees Christ in me!
How bright is the light of your life? How far will it shine? Do you hide it under a bush? Do you put it on the hillside so that everyone can see it?
HYPOCRITES IN THE CHURCH?
Hypocrites in the Church? Yes, and in the lodge, and at home. Don't hunt through the Church for a hypocrite. Go home and look in the glass. Hypocrites? Yes. See that you make the number one less. -Billy Sunday
An hypocrite with his mouth destroyeth his neighbour: but through knowledge shall the just be delivered. Proverbs11:9
Don't allow someone else to keep you from worshipping the Saviour. There shouldn't be anything between you Him- anything or anyone! Be an example of real Christianity to them by the way you talk and more importantly the way you walk!
GET UP, GET READY, and GO TO CHURCH! Worship Him today!
WITHOUT SIN YOU SAY?
The greatest of faults, I should say, is to be conscious of none. –Carlyle
Who can understand his errors? cleanse thou me from secret faults. Psalm 19:12
As we look into our life, can any of us truly say we have no sin; NO! Each one of us has sin! (If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 1 John 1:8.) What is sad is when someone, whether justly or unjustly, points one out and we refuse to see what they are talking about!
I have a simple saying;
Consider who is talking—are they a godly person that is attempting to live for the Lord? Proverbs 27:17, Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.
Does what they are saying apply to me—are they assuming they know the whole story and have passed judgment or have they got the whole story and I need to heed. Proverbs 9:8, Reprove not a scorner, lest he hate thee: rebuke a wise man, and he will love thee.
Lastly, if it applies to my life—do something about it, if it don’t—ignore it and go on for the glory of God! Proverbs 9:9, Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be yet wiser: teach a just man, and he will increase in learning.
TRUST HIM, HE WEAVES THE BEST LIVES
My life is but the weaving between my God and me; I only choose the colors, He weaveth steadily. Sometimes He weaveth sorrow, and I in foolish pride, forget he sees the upper, and I the underside. -Anonymous
Psalm 103:1, Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name.
As we travel through this life, remember God has desires for us and the choices we make either confirms His desires or they are totally contrary to them. Either we can yield to the Spirit’s leading in our life of salvation, to sanctification, and places to serve or we can rebel against it, settling for a life without the blessings of God.
No matter what tapestry God is weaving in your life, trust Him on the mountain tops and in the deepest of valleys. As we do, He will weave into our lives His Spirit in such a way that as we close out the last chapter in our life, we will leave behind a beautiful Christ honoring life pointing others to Jesus!
GOT FAITH?
Faith- Believing things when common sense tells you not to. –Davis
Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Hebrews 11:1
In the minds of those that don’t believe, faith is stupid. However, for those that do, it’s everything! Faith for the family, faith for our friends, faith for the future of our country, faith for funds, faith for the fundamentals of the faith, faith for fellow workers, faith for fortification, faith for the home front, or faith for the House of God. It's all about faith in the Lord Jesus Christ!
How’s your faith holding up these days? If wavering let us echo the one who brought his son to Jesus “Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief”.
TRAINING GROUND
One doesn't become a soldier in a week - it takes training, study and discipline. There is no question that the finest Army in the world is found in the United States.
Proverbs 22:6 Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.
What if we were to train our soldiers how to use their weapons wrong? What if we never took the time to train them? What if they didn't have the right equipment to get the job done right? I we know the answer—-
Well Mom-Dad, Grandma-Grandpa, Brother- Sister, Friends someone is being trained by you. Are you using your weapons correctly? Are you spending time to train them? Are you giving them the right equipment to use? If the answer is no, then don't be surprise when they turn out just the opposite of what you wanted them to!
Forgive and be Forgiven
Thankful for God’s forgiveness this morning! May we be forgiving as He has forgiven us!
Matthew 6:15, But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
Isn’t it amazing that the God of the universe is willing to forgive us for all that we have ever done against His holiness? Our blasphemy, our rebellion, our hatred, our wicked hearts can be and will be forgiven when we repent of our sin and trust in the saving power of Jesus Christ though! His power to save reaches down to the lowest of the low. His love transcends any and all types of love on this planet in such a way that anyone that calls out to Him for forgiveness will be forgiven.
With that being said, why can’t you and I forgive that one who has betrayed our trust? Why can’t we forgive that one who has stabbed us in the back? Why can’t we forgive that one who took us for granted? Why can’t we be “...forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.”
Power in Prayer
Prayer is a strong wall and fortress of the church; it is a goodly Christian weapon.— Martin Luther
Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. James 5:16
I do believe that prayer is the number one neglected weapon of the church. Yet, the Bible speaks so much of it. From the first prayer in Genesis 4:26 to the last prayer in Revelation 22:20, they have all been about communicating with God; about getting in touch with the creator, about sharing our burdens, about praising Him for something He has done, about pleading with Him to do something, about honoring Him with our words, or even just a simple—thank you Lord!
How is your prayer life? If you were to measure the successes in your life by your prayers—how would it be? Lord, help us to have a prayer life that will be Christ honoring!
Work Out Time!
The Church is not only training ground for this life but for the life to come as well!
Ephesians 4:23-24, And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.
As we get up this morning to go to church hopefully we will prepare not only by taking a shower, fixing our hair, or eating a good meal but by praying the Lord would have His way in our lives!
Get a workout out by GETTING UP, GETTING READY, and GOING TO CHURCH!!!
Cast That Gospel Net
Many men go fishing all of their lives without knowing that it is not fish they are after.
Matthew 4:19 And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.
Notice Jesus didn’t say, “Follow me, and I will build you a bigger house”. But I believe your finances will better if you do. He didn’t say, “Follow me, and I will keep you out of trouble” But I believe that if you live by His Word, the choices you make because you do, will keep you out of trouble. He didn’t say, “Follow me, and I will keep you healthy.” But I believe if you do, you will live a healthier life.
A lot of people would have you to believe Jesus came to make you happy, to give you your best life now, or to fill your pockets with all the money you want. That’s not what He came for! What Jesus said was, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” He told His parents, “I must be about my Father's business.” Each of us needs to be about our Father’s business. We need to be casting the Gospel Net out into the waters of whosoever will praying God would give the increase!