DONE

To find one's work is to find one's place in the world. -Cabot

Hebrews 10:12-13, But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God; From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool.

Many people spend their entire life trying to find what they want to do for a living. They go to school for this, they go to school for that. They bounce from this job to that job. They never find true contentment in their occupation; they clock in, do their job, and collect a pay check. Life is more than that! Life is knowing beyond a shadow of a doubt you are slap dab in the will of God!

When Jesus was just a boy, He asked His parents, “How is it that ye sought me? wist ye not that I must be about my Father's business?” On the Cross, He said, “It is finished!” Jesus knew why He was on this earth and He wasn’t about to be distracted from it; all they way to the Cross!

CHECK UP

Some people wonder why their children are such liars. If they'd look into a mirror; they'd probably see the reason. - D.L. Moody

A faithful witness will not lie: but a false witness will utter lies. Proverbs 14:5

It’s so easy to point out other people’s sin. We like to compare ourselves with them instead of the Lord Jesus because we don’t look as bad. We can nick pick them to death and we walk away thinking we smell like roses. The truth is—all our righteousness is as a pile of filthy rags and our sin riddled life stinks! There is nothing good about us unless we have Him in us!

When is the last time you looked into the Word of God to get a perfect picture of yourself? There is no better mirror in which we can get a real picture of who you are and where you are going! Take a few minutes today to get a checkup! And while you’re at it, go to the midweek services at your local Christ Centered, Bible Believing, Independent, Fundamental, New Testament, Bible Preaching Church!

HE LOVES YOU

It is possible to give without loving, but it is impossible to love without giving. -Braunstein

1 Timothy 2:5-6 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.

Because our Lord loves us, He sent His Son to die for us. Because He loved me my Saviour died! On the cross was crucified! Because He loved you, He died as well! Do you believe it today? Trust in the one that can bring a difference to your life!

LOOK WHAT GOD HAS DONE FOR YOU

Blessed is the man who is too busy to worry in the daytime and too sleepy to worry at night. -Anonymous

Psalm 103:1-2, Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name. Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:

If we began right now thanking the Lord for all His has done for us, it would take the rest of eternity to thank Him! He has done so much and provided so much! He has done it all! It would do us all good this morning to stop for a moment and reflect on what God has done for us! Hey friend, He saved us, healed us, sanctified us, loved us, cares for us, and satisfies us! He does all that and so much more day after day!

GET RID OF BITTERNESS

Never trust your heart when your heart is bitter.

James 3:14, But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth.

We will never be what God wants us to be if we do not get rid of bitterness. Bitterness will destroy your testimony. Bitterness will destroy relationships. Bitterness can destroy your life if you don’t realize Jesus loves you and will forgive you for the bitterness in your heart!

Friend, trust God will help you not be bitter. Follow what Paul told the church at Ephesus in Ephesian 4:31, Put away all bitterness! Get rid of it!  

SUPPORT LOCAL BIBLE BELIEVING CHURCHES

The living Church, though never neat, keeps God's world from complete disaster.- Macleod

Luke 9:50, And Jesus said unto him, Forbid him not: for he that is not against us is for us.

Do you know what Satan likes; he likes for churches and Christians to be against one another. He doesn’t like unity. He doesn’t like people being spiritually minded. He doesn’t like unity in the church or amongst God’s people. So, he sows discord. He creates competition. He desires for the church to be worldly, destroying God’s plans of peace!

We need spiritually minded Christians to follow God’s example of unity! We need to support like-minded, Bible-believing churches in our community. We need to pray for one another. We need to help one another. We need to honor and exhort one another with brotherly love and compassion. We need to do what Jesus said to do; Love one-another.  

BREAK IT DOWN

The death of the family begins when someone gets their eyes off Jesus.

1 Peter 5:8, Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:

Satan says, “Break it down!” He wants the family to be broken. When the family is broken, families begin to search for help. Many times, this help is found in the government. Then instead of God becoming a source of help up, it only becomes the place of a hand out. It becomes the sole provider for the home. We do not see this anywhere in God’s plan for the home so Satan wins another battle.

Child of God, don’t give Satan a stronghold in your family! Don’t give him any place inside your home! Get rid of the things that would allow Satan to gain any ground in your life! Get rid of the laziness! Get rid of the complacency! Get rid of the apathy! You better get back with God and not give Satan any ground in your life cause he wants to break your life down!

IT’S WORTH IT

We never know the worth of water till the well is dry. -Fuller

Mark 8:36-37, For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?

Many folks are just giving up these days. They give up on their children. They give up on their marriages. They give up on their church and their pastor. Some, even give up on the Lord.

You will never know how much you’ve got until what you have is gone! When you give up, some of those things you gave up on will never come back to yah!

Yes, it is worth it to fight for your marriage! Yes, it is worth it to teach your kids to follow the Lord. Yes, it is worth it to support your church and the church’s pastor! Yes, it is worth it to live for the Lord! So, don’t quit child of God! You keep on keeping on no matter what Satan may be throwing at you! Keep that chin up and serve the Lord with gladness because it is worth it!

MISINFORMED

To hear truth and not accept it does not nullify truth. -Brotherhood Journal

John 8:32, And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

Over the past few years there has come a new cliché about information given to us; “Fake News.” I don’t know where it originated but our previous president picked it up and it became a national saying for anything anyone didn’t agree with/ It didn’t matter if it was true or not.

When talking about the Word of God, many would say it’s outdated or irrelevant. Some would even claim it is fake news. Yet, our belief in the Word does not change what it is though. Giving its Truth, remaining the same, with the potential power to change men and women for the good every day.

Have you picked up a copy of the Bible lately and read a few verses? Have you sought to see what God’s Word can do for you? Have you asked the Lord to use His Word to give you light to the way to Heaven? Don’t be misinformed by this world, your flesh, or the devil friend! God’s Word is Truth and it will set you free!

EXHORT ONE ANOTHER

A few kind words will help a brother or sister from sin.

Hebrews 3:13, But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.

As Christians, we ought to exhort other Christians to follow the Lord. We follow the Lord by attending Sunday school, Sunday Evening and Wednesday services, Revival services, special Bible conferences, reading our Bible, praying for special needs, going on visitation, or a host of other opportunities the church has to serve. It’s been commanded by the Lord for us to do this.

Sometimes, there will be someone who doesn’t comprehend why a fellow believer would challenge or exhort them to service. They find an offence to it. They get mad or upset. They are offended because they are not living right and the Spirit that lives within them, bring conviction to their heart. (If that’s you, yield to the Spirit!)

Christian friend, GET UP, GET READY, and GO TO CHURCH THIS MORNING! Believe it or not, you need it! I need it! We need to exhort one another!

FAMILY MATTERS

The family is the first form of church on the earth.

1 Timothy 5:8, But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel.

Satan has been attacking the family since the Garden of Eden. He attacks because he knows this is God’s design to teach children to depend on Him. Society attacks the family, so that families will come to depend on the government. This is why we should provide for our family.

The Word of God puts a lot of importance on the family! If you have a family, fight for it! Invest in it! Provide for it! Don’t provide for it just with your finances. Give your family Jesus. Give them your time. Give them… YOU- because family matters!

CONSIDERING QUITTING

Don’t quit until you count all of the cost.

Romans 12:1, I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.

John Goetsch said, “The problem with a living sacrifice is that it continues to get off the altar.” I do believe we need to be that living sacrifice but we must die to self in order for it to be worth anything to the Lord. Paul said, He died daily. He came to the understanding that it wasn’t about himself, it was all about God. His honor. His Glory. His will be done.

Are you considering quitting? Stop! Consider what it is going to cost you. Is walking away from God worth the price you are going to pay? Is it worth your spouse? Is it worth your children? Is it worth your health? Is it worth your life? Is it worth the ministry God called you to? All these things and more are on the line when you walk away from what God has called you to. So, before you quit, count all of the cost!

SPRING IS AROUND THE CORNER

Study nature as the countenance of God. -Kingsley

Genesis 8:22, While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease.

We are guaranteed that the seasons will always come. From time to time these seasons will changed in length and severity but they still come. Why—because God’s Word said they would!

Are you fearful the world is going to end? That fear may be an indication that you’re lost and on the way to Hell. Call out to the Lord friend and be saved. Spring is right around the corner and you have a lot of living left to do!

PRAYER MEETING

God gives us permission to pray because He wants us to communicate with Him.

1 Timothy 2:8, I will therefore that men pray every where, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting.

God wants you and I to talk with Him anytime and anywhere. We are not limited as to when or where we can call out to Him. Some think you must be in their prayer closet or in church to pray. But the Bible tells us that God’s will is for men to pray everywhere!

When is the last time you met God for a time of prayer? Daniel met Him. Paul met Him. Jesus met His Father in times of prayer! If God finds a time of prayer important, we should to.

LOVE MOTIVATES

You can serve without loving but you can’t love without serving.

John 3:16, 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.

God loved us so much that He sacrificed His only begotten Son on the Cross. He didn’t just sit back and talk about His love toward us. He didn’t brag to His angels about it. He didn’t carve it in a mountain side or an old oak tree. He sacrificed His Son on a tree on Calvary’s mountain. His love was the motivation of His sacrifice. Romans 5:8, But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

Why do you sacrifice for your spouse? Why do you sacrifice for your children? Why do you sacrifice for your church? We do it out of love friend! Love is the greatest motivator!

Do you love the Lord; put it on display by keeping His Commandments! Do you love your spouse and children; put it on display! Serve them and love them unconditionally! You see friend, love motivates!

WE’VE GOT A HERITAGE

           Celebrate your heritage!

Psalm 16:6, The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places; yea, I have a goodly heritage.

            I want to give a shout out to the men and women that have been instrumental in my life this morning. Some of these folks have been pastors, Sunday School teachers, friends, or fellow church members. Some have committed grievous sins. Some have died. Some have stood by the stuff and some have conformed to the world’s standards. But every last one taught me something about what it means to have a goodly heritage.

            You see, I did not grow up in a Christian home in which the love of God reigned. I, like many Christians, did not get drug to church when I was young. I didn’t go to Sunday School, Wednesday evening prayer meeting, or even a VBS many times. The only thing I knew about church was, weird people went there!

            But praise be to God when I did get saved and I became one of those weird people! Then, a goodly heritage began in my life that humbles me to be part of. It’s an honor to have set under such men as Billy Kelly, T.D Burgess, Randy Bane, Tony Finney, Clarence Sexton, David Gibbs III, and many others!  

            Some men and women have sacrificed their lives in order for you and I to be able to sit in our churches to worship and pray with one another. Some have sacrificed their lives to preach the Gospel to us so that we or our loved ones could get saved!

            Friend, don’t take your heritage for granted! Honor those that have gone on before you! Celebrate your goodly heritage!

JESUS IS MINE—FOREVER

           "The Lord is my Shepherd," not was, not maybe, not will be.  "The Lord is my Shepherd"-is on Sunday, is on Monday, and is through every day of the week; is in January, is in December, and every month of the year; is at home, and is in China; is in peace, and is in war; in abundance and in poverty. -Taylor

Ephesians 2:8-9, 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.

            Praise God for the assurance of salvation! I am thankful we cannot lose it! We can’t do anything to lose it! Neither should we want to because we that are saved have a new nature! This nature was created by God when we believe Him! His Spirit came to live in us has changed our desires in this life! 2 Corinthians 5:17 says, “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” If we are in Christ, we have Jesus forever!

Are you saved this morning? Do you have the assurance of your salvation? If you were wrong about your beliefs, would you want to know?

WAIT ON GOD

           Wait in prayer.  Call on God and spread the case before.  Express your unstaggering confidence in him.  Wait in faith, for unfaithful, untrusting waiting is but an insult to the Lord.  Wait in quiet patience, not murmuring because you are under the affliction, but blessing God for it. -Spurgeon

Psalm 27:14, Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.

            When praying, we are good with the no and yes answers. What we don’t want to hear is to wait. However, that is exactly what we need! We need to hear God say, trust me and have faith.

            What holding period do you have on your life? Well, wait on the Lord friend! If you don’t, there is a pretty good chance you will mess up the best thing God has for you.

STAND AMAZED

            Authority without wisdom is like a heavy axe without an edge, fitter to bruise than polish. -A Bradstreet

Luke 4:32, And they were astonished at his doctrine: for his word was with power.

            It’s one thing to know what you believe; it’s another to know why you believe it. God is the source of all knowledge, so it’s no surprise the wisdom He gives to His children is not only astonishing to hear but it is saturated with the power of God! That, my friend, ought to make you stand proud and proclaim the Good News of the Gospel!

            When was the last time you got a fresh look at the Lord and stood in amazement? Get a fresh look at the Word of God friend! It will be the best thing you have done in a while!

GOD KNOWS

           Just when you think you’ve gotten away with something, God reveals what you’ve done.

Psalm 69:5, O God, thou knowest my foolishness; and my sins are not hid from thee.

            While we may trick Mom or Dad or your Husband or your Wife, God knows everything about you. He knows what you do when no one else is around. He knows what you look at on the internet. He knows who you’re talking to at work. He knows the motives behind why you do what you do. He knows every hidden secret you have; including the ones you don’t know yourself.

            Friend, just be honest with God! He already knows what you’re doing! Consider what the Bible says in Hebrews 4:12, For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.