BRING IT TO THE CROSS

Psalm 55:22, Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved. 

I have to be in at 5am today but the Lord woke me up at 3 with some burdens on my heart; I am burdened for some families this morning that are on the brink of divorce. I am burdened for some young adults this morning that use to be active in a church but now, will not darken the door of it. I am burdened for some men this morning that have been made shipwreck because of sin, self, and Satan. I am burdened for some women today that have been fooled by Satan’s tactics. 

While it is in my nature to want to help and even fix these problems, the fact of the matter is, I can’t. What I can do is bring them to the cross, nail their names to it, and leave them there for the Lord to handle. I can bathe them in prayer! Would you join me this morning? 

LESS TIME OR WRONG PRIORITIES

Psalm 90:12, So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.

             The older I get the more it seems as if I have less and less time. Less time to pray, Less time to read my Bible, Less time to share the Good News of the Gospel, Less time for family, Less time for friends, Less time to do the most important things in this life. But the older I get I have also realized the things I find important, I will make time for!

            Is there something robbing your time of prayer? What about reading His Word? What about spending time with friends and family? What about sharing the Gospel? What about going to church? Maybe, those things you think are important are not as important to you as you make them out to be! Maybe it’s time to reprioritize!

            Did you plan on going to church this morning? If not, reprioritize! GET UP, GET READY, and GET GOING!

ARE YOU CONTENT?

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

Hebrews 13:5-Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.

Isn’t it amazing, grown adults are still fighting over who has the biggest and best stuff! It would seem that by the time one graduates college, falls in love, and gets married that they would be over their petty little games. But no-- their toys are just more expensive now. Instead of a new-to-you truck, you got to have a brand new one. You ain’t settled with the cottage below, you have to have that mansion on the hilltop -- NOW!

Being content is a life lesson that I am sure all of us can improve on. Our culture in America promotes a discontentment from the time we are born until the time we die. Kids in the checkout line at Walmart-- “Have to have a piece of gum”. Women see a sale on shoes—“Have to have a new pair”. Men are not satisfied with the woman God gave them—“Have to have someone new”. So how do we overcome the temptations that this world offers? The same way Jesus did- with the Word! Three times Jesus said to the devil, “It is written...” I believe that’s the only way we will overcome temptations as well! 

LIVE FOR JESUS

It is the pagan heart that needs the redeeming message of Christ whether the person who has the heart lives in Shanghai or New York. –Decker

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

Praise the Lord for opportunities to serve Him! To preach, to teach, to be an example, to share what Christ has done for us! What a privilege it is to be able to share the good news of the Gospel with others! But what a responsibility at the same time! Will there be someone that stands before the Lord, that you knew, at judgment day that says…..” But no one ever told me.”? Be the example you need to be so that someone sees Christ in you and open your lips to share that hope before it’s too late!

SLIP SLIDING AWAY

Jeremiah 15:6, Thou hast forsaken me, saith the Lord, thou art gone backward: therefore will I stretch out my hand against thee, and destroy thee; I am weary with repenting.

When I was 4 or 5, I went swimming across the road from where we lived. As I went to get out of the pond, I slipped back in but I didn’t stop where I was at, I kept going and going until it was over my head and I couldn’t touch the bottom. I thought I was going to die!!! Thankfully, my brother, was on the bank and he rescued me. 

Sometimes we get tired and decide to skip church thinking it won’t hurt anything. But before you know it, you’ve slid completely out, slipping back into some of the same sins God set you free from!

Child of God, guard your heart! Keep from slipping and sliding back into those old sinful ways! Some of the ways you can do this is by being active in church, praying, reading and studying the Word, sharing the Good News of the Gospel. But if you find yourself in over your head, drowning in sin, cry out to the Lord and He will rescue you! 1 John 1:9, If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

RESTING IN JESUS

Take rest; a field that has rested gives a bountiful crop.

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

I remember hearing a secular song, “Working for the Weekend”. Sometimes that is exactly the rut we found ourselves in; working only until the next party on Friday or Saturday night. Bursting our backs Monday through Friday just to make enough money to pay the bills and a six pack was and for some still is the way of life.

I'm glad that on July 12, 1992 there was given a rest to my life! Instead of focusing on the weekends I began to see the wastefulness of it all. Instead of glorying in the creation more than the creator I started to glorify God. Instead of centering life on self I became more concerned about the Saviour. When that transformation took place…….then and only then did I find rest for my weary soul.

Are you tired? Do you find yourself in the rat race of life? Read it again, “There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God.” There is a rest that passes all understanding. You can work your backside off for the Lord and be dead tired but, “There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God.” All around you might be falling apart but, “There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God.” Your Son or Daughter might be going the way of the world but, "There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God.” You may have “lost” your Mom or Dad, Grandma or Grandpa, Son or Daughter or the most important person in your life but, ”There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God.” Do you have that rest only found in Jesus?

CALL UNTO GOD

I have been driven many times to my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I had nowhere else to go.  My own wisdom, and that of all about me, seemed insufficient for that day. --Abraham Lincoln 

Psalm 95:6, O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the LORD our maker.

Isn't it refreshing to know that even great men, even presidents, are weak at times? I mean all we see is them at their best never seeing a tear, never seeing a sign of desperation. I think back to the video of former President George Bush when they told him of 9/11. I wonder what was going on in his mind when the man leaned over and whispered in his ear, "There has been a second plane...." I wonder if when he laid his head down that night if tears soaked his pillow. 

It may not be an event such as 9/11 that brings us to our knees. It may be a visit to the doctor, a telephone call in the middle of the night from a child, or a pink slip at the end of a work day. When those times come, who will you call out to? Who will be there for you to shed a tear with? Old Abe has it right! Psalm 56:3, What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee.

FIRST IMPRESSION

Beware, as long as you live, of judging people by appearances. -La Fontaine

John 7:24, Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment.

            It has been said that a first impression is what last. I am sure you have been there. You meet someone for the first time and you immediately think you have them pegged by where they live, what they drive, what they are wearing, or the way they comb their hair. Oh, you say that is foolish but have we not all done it on... them being tattooed, by the number of piercings they have in their ears, or even if they smoke.

            First impressions do make a lasting impression! However, we should be more concerned about a person's heart rather than what t-shirt they are wearing. The reason is that the outward appearance is only a thermometer of what the heart has on the inside. “Proverbs 23:7a, For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he...”

            This week let's set our self-righteous attitude to the side and minister to people right where they are at. Challenging them to consider their standing before Christ and watching the Lord do a work in their heart! 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.

WRONG TURN?

Insomuch as any one pushes you nearer to God, he or she is your friend. –Anonymous

Proverbs 27:6 Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful.

Have you taken a wrong turn headed down a sinful road? Are you out of church? Have you quit reading your Bible? Has life closed your mouth that once sang praises unto the Lord? 

Are you wondering how you can recalculate and get on the right road to victory? Are you like the prodigal son, have you came to yourself and making your way back to the Heavenly Father? 

Making your way back may seem hard, but the Lord is right there with you and His people will be there for you. 

As a friend let me tell you the truth, Satan and this old world wants to bring you down and defeat you, don’t let Him! Start off by GETTING UP, GETTING READY and GOING TO CHURCH this morning!  Find Christian friends that will hold you accountable and push you closer to the Lord! Find the ones that are willing tell you the truth in love and compassion!

BE AN EXAMPLE

1 Timothy 4:12, Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity.

If you have the privilege of working a “secular” job, make it part of your ministry. God has placed you there to shine His Grace and Mercy for someone who needs it. Shine the joyful spirit of Jesus Christ. Make opportunities to share the Gospel. Be thou an example!

NO ONE OWES YOU ANYTHING

2 Thessalonians 3:10, For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat.

            There is a growing mentality in which people who do nothing feel as if they are owed something, just because. Just because they were born in a poor neighborhood. Just because they are of some ethnic group. Just because they had something bad happen to them when they were young. Just because their mom was a drug addict. Just because their dad beat them. Just because this or just because that.

            As a “survivor” of mental, physical, and sex abuse, I find it simply crazy to think that anyone owes me anything. No one owes me an answer as to why this happened to me. No one owes me a hand out. No one should have to give up their hard-earned income because I am too lazy or self-absorbed to get off my can and work for what I need. God has given me a sound mind, two arms, two legs, and an ability to work. If He has given you the same, then you need to do the same! Here is what I need to do this morning: I need to get up, get ready, and head to my place of employment to be able to continue to provide for my family. If God wants me to receive a handout, He will provide it to me! I won’t have to beg, steal, or borrow. God will always provide for His people if they are doing what He wants.

            So, before you get that “Everyone owes me something mentality”, be reminded this morning that God doesn’t owe us anything and neither does anyone else. Rely on the Lord to give you the strength, knowledge and wisdom to provide for your family!

BEHIND THE SCENES

But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, Galatians 4:4

            God is working behind the scenes; always has been and always will be. What is He doing? Well for you and I, during the four hundred years of silence, He was preparing for the arrival of His Son to be born so He could redeem our sin sick souls. Galatians 4:5, “To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.” God is very actively working on our behalf. Sometimes it is open and we can clearly see His hand moving and at others, He is silently working things out.

           Are you in a time when it seems as if God isn’t doing anything in your life? Be still and know He is God. He is working behind the scenes. Diligently working out His will for your life which is for your good and His glory!

LISTEN UP SON!

We have two ears for a reason; to listen twice as much as we speak.

Proverbs 1:8-9 My son, hear the instruction of thy father, and forsake not the law of thy mother: For they shall be an ornament of grace unto thy head, and chains about thy neck.

            Radios in combat situations have come a long way since WWI. The bulky VHF radios of WWI were replaced by the lighter weight, portable, battery-operated transistor radios during World War II. The radios of today look like something out of a science-fiction movie compared to the bulky VHF radios of WWI. Not only did the improvements of these radios include the weight and size but it also included the reception and transmission of the radios. This vast improvement of radios not only helped strategically make better battle plans and deliver supplies but most important it saved lives!

            Hey Son, maybe you need to listen up before you end up as a casualty of the spiritual war. Listen to the Godly influences God has given you by starting with your Mom and Dad. If they aren’t doing right, find someone who is. It’s best just to pick up that Bible and search out the life of Jesus. He gives the best counsel and is the best example for us anyway!   

OUCH THAT HURT!

Sin leaves scars!

Psalm 84:10, For a day in thy courts is better than a thousand. I had rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God, than to dwell in the tents of wickedness.

            When I was as a young boy my parents got me a bicycle one year for Christmas. I remember getting up on the two wheeled contraption and attempting to ride it. After I thought I had mastered the skills to pop wheelies and jump rocks, I thought it would be a good idea to build a ramp to jump higher, further, and longer air time. Wrong answer! I ended up with road rash on my arms and legs leaving some nasty scars on my knees and elbows.

            Now riding a bicycle is not sin but jumping those ramps wasn’t the smartest thing in the world to do. A few moments of sinful pleasure can leave some sinful scars! Broken marriages, estranged kids, a lost job, someone’s life, sometimes come when someone put themselves above a commitment they made.

I don’t know about you but I don’t want any scars reminding me of the grievous sins I may have committed. I need to be reminded of the Heavenly Father’s grace and mercy! Be reminded this morning, Sin will take you further than you wanted to go, keep you longer than you wanted to stay, and cost you way more than you were willing to pay. So guard your heart!

WOLVES WILL HOWL

Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Matthew 7:15

Did you hear that; it was a howl from the mouth of a wolf in the mist of the sheep? It can come at a business meeting when they don’t get their way. It can come during a discussion over doctrinal issues, when they find out what they thought isn’t what the Bible says. It can come when the pastor chooses someone else to serve in a position they thought they were best qualified for.

Child of God are you in tune with the Saviour? Is their sin in your heart causing you to be confused with the noises of this world? If you confess and forsake the sin in your life you will be able to discern good from evil. If you are in tune with the Saviour you will hear when a wolf howls.

WORSHIP TIME

The more we worship the cleaner we get.- Scott Pauley

            Psalm 34:3 O magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together.

            After a long day’s work in which you may get sweaty, greasy, and dirty, we long to get home so we can take a shower. After that shower we feel so much better. It’s like we are a new person! Clean, refreshed, and ready to take on another day!

Child of God, that’s how it is when we worship our Saviour! When we go to church to worship our Saviour. He begins to work on us. We begin to confess and get clean. We are made fit to work for Him, doing His work for another season!

Hey friend, GET UP, GET READY, and GO TO CHURCH this morning in order worship Jesus Christ. As we do, the cleaner we get and the more we will want to worship Him!

Give up and let God work it out!

Blessings come down as the prayers go up!

 Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Psalm 37:4

So many try to fight against what God wants for their life. When they do, it’s like trying to swim upstream of a water fall! We are not fish people! If you are a Christian, when you fight against God’s will you, like Jonah, may end up in the belly of a whale! But if you follow in His will for your life… things fall into place time and time again!

SECOND CHANCES

True repentance hates the sin, and not merely the penalty; and it hates the sin most of all because it has discovered and felt God's love. -- Taylor   

Ephesians 4:32, And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.

The Lord is full of second chances in this life. We have so many examples from the Word of God it's hard to pick out one. One of the best has to be Jonah. In Jonah 1, the Lord came to Jonah giving him something to do. Jonah didn't want to do it so he ran. He end up on a ship headed the opposite way. Conviction and human judgment had been passed and Jonah ended up in the belly of a whale. In Chapter 2, Jonah has a prayer unto the Lord. He remembered the Lord's grace and mercy. He recognized his own sin of disobedience and repented. Then the Lord delivered Jonah. 

Chapter 3 starts off with, "And the word of the LORD came unto Jonah the second time, saying...,". There you go, the second chance of the Lord! He is so faithful to us even when we fail Him day in and day out. His compassions fail not, yet where is ours? Do you remember why Jonah didn't want to follow the Lord? He didn't want the Ninevites to hear the Word of God because he knew they would repent. Wow! But God didn't give up on Jonah and the Bible says that the whole town of Nineveh repented.

Jonah and the people of Nineveh had some repenting to do. We too have sin to repent of. In repenting, the Lord gives us a second chance at doing what He wants us to do. It may be to be saved. It may be to be the Godly Mother or Father He wants. It may be full time Christian service. It may be to tell someone you really don't like about the Lord Jesus. You know what the Lord has given for you to do, repent and do it! 

Be reminded though, "There is no repentance in the grave." -Watts

OPPORTUNITIES KNOCK

While we stop to think, we often miss our opportunity. –Syrus

As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith. Galatians 6:10

We have opportunities every single day to make a difference in someone else’s life. A cup of cold water, a simple “Hello, how are you?” or a “If you were to die today, where would you spend eternity?” can go a long way in someone’s life!

Consider with me a few other scriptures:

Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares. Hebrews 13:2

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: Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. Matthew 25:35-36

WHAT TO DO, WHAT TO DO

Proverbs 13:1, A wise son heareth his father's instruction: but a scorner heareth not rebuke.
You will always have someone in your ear wanting you to buy this or that, go here or there, or maybe even to follow them. What you do with what they say will either help your walk with the Lord or it will draw you away from Him. Be careful when you don’t have clear direction! The best thing to do is to Do Nothing! It’s the perfect time to, “Be still and know He is God”!