GET RID OF SIN

Is sin so luscious that you will burn in hell for it? -Spurgeon

Proverbs 28:13, He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.

David felt the pain and agony of the sin he had committed. He knew if he did not confess and forsake it, he would have that weight upon his life until he did. He knew it would destroy his life. He knew he would never be what God wanted him to be with that sin dragging him down. So, David “got rid of the sin”. What I mean is that he didn’t set it aside. He didn’t cover it up. He dealt with his sin the way God instructs us to. He confessed it. He forsook it!

Will you do the same this morning or will you continue to be hindered by the sin that so easily besets you?

PREPARE FOR YOUR DAY

Protecting yourself from the temptations of this world begins one choice at a time.  

Romans 12:21, Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.

When you finally get up this morning, you will begin to make choices for the day. The choice to get up or not. The choice of what you eat for breakfast. The choice on whether you will go to work or not. While those choice are somewhat trivial, when you chose to do your devotions, read your Bible, or share the Gospel, those things are very much important to your Spiritual success.

Will you prepare for the last day of this week better than you started it off? Will you be overcome with evil or will you overcome evil with good? It is determined by those first few choices of the day, so chose well!   

MERCY IS GREATER

When mercy rules, there is peace.

Proverbs 11:17, The merciful man doeth good to his own soul: but he that is cruel troubleth his own flesh.

Mercy has been defined as, not getting what we deserve. We deserved hell, but God didn’t send us there. What He did do was give us grace. He sent His only begotten Son, Jesus to die on the Cross for our sin. He didn’t have to but He did! What mercy He has shown!

Taylor said, “Mercy is like the rainbow, which God hath set in the clouds; it never shines after it is night.  If we refuse mercy here, we shall have justice in eternity.” I don’t know about you, but I would rather have mercy here because mercy is greater!

WORKING FOR THE LORD

God will not look you over for medals, degrees or diplomas, but for scars! -Hubbard

Romans12:1-2, 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. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

Scarred feet from sharing the Gospel. Scarred hands from working in the harvest fields. Scarred feelings from being let down, deceived, and lied to. If you have been serving the Lord for any amount of time, these things are inevitable. Folks are going to use you up and walk all over top of you. They think you owe them something. They think they have all of the answers. They think they impress God in their lip service.

Friend, if you’re not going to do something for the Lord, get out of the way and let those that are do it! Working for the Lord isn’t for the faint of heart. You’re going to get hurt and scarred as you serve. But continue working for the Lord anyway!

SALVATION PLUS NOTHING

If you add anything to salvation, it is no more grace but works and works doesn’t save anyone.

Acts 16:31-34, And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house. And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes; and was baptized, he and all his, straightway. And when he had brought them into his house, he set meat before them, and rejoiced, believing in God with all his house.

As you see within the context of these 4 verses, there is a simple outline that leads to salvation. The first thing I see is that a lost person can become a believing person by hearing the Word of God preached. He must hear the Word. He must believe it. And then He gets saved. And that’s the outline. God’s Word is preached. A lost person believes it and they get saved. It’s salvation plus nothing!

Have you heard it? Did you believe it? If so, there will be evidences of it in your life. (2 Corinthians 5:17) The first thing is that you will obey Jesus’ command to be baptized as an outward showing of what has happened in your life. It doesn’t save you or add to your salvation but it will help give you the assurance because you have followed His Word to be baptized.  

YOU GOT IT OR YOU DON’T

One is not working his way to salvation. Either he is saved or he is not, there is no in between.

 1 John 5:10 He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son.

             Is there any conviction in your life when you sin? When you have evil thoughts about someone is there anything inside you that perks up and tells you that you’re wrong for thinking that way? When you go a day or so without reading the Word of God is there a longing to get back to it? Do you have the testimony of the Holy Ghost of God in you? When you miss church, is there a longing to get back under the preaching of God’s Word? If there is no conviction—then His Spirit is not living within you—that means you are lost in your sin and trespasses. We are not in a process of salvation. Either you got it or you don’t.

CHURCH DAY

GET UP, GET READY, and GO TO CHURCH

Psalm 111:1, Praise ye the LORD. I will praise the LORD with my whole heart, in the assembly of the upright, and in the congregation.

What is keeping you from attending church? Have you been to a church in which someone hurt your feelings? Did something the pastor say make you upset? Did the choir not sing your special song? Was the church rude or unpleasant to be in? What is it that keeps you from following Scripture?

Friend, it’s church day! Nothing or no one should come in between you; praising God, worshipping God, praying to God, fulfilling His command to not forsake the assembling of the local New Testament church! Will you go to church today?

OUR BEST DESIRES

The best desires come from a heart that is sold out for Jesus.

Psalm 27:4, One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to enquire in his temple.

A person that desires to please the Lord will find themselves in the Word, in His House, fellowshipping with His people, and doing what He has commanded us to do. When we follow His will for our lives, it produces the best for our lives and for the lives of the people we come in contact with each day.

Are you sold out for Jesus? If you are, you will be following His will for your life. When you follow His will, your desires will begin to be the best desires anyone can have!

PLAIN AIR RIDE

The rapture of the church will happen when we least expect it.

1 Thessalonians 4:16-17, For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

What a promise from the Word of God! Yes, the Bible teaches the rapture of the church before the Tribulation period beings. The New Testament church is not mentioned during the Tribulation. We do not see them attempting to win the lost, baptizing, or making disciples. We don’t see them because the body of Christ will have been caught up or raptured out of this sin riddled world. We will have taken that plain air ride to meet our Saviour!
Will you be going? If you don’t know, you can! Just ask me how!

GREAT SAVIOUR

My memory is almost gone, but I remember one thing: that I am a great sinner and Christ is a great Saviour. --John Newton, author of "Amazing Grace"

Titus 2:11-14, For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.

When is the last time you stopped and gave thanks for the Saviour? Was it at Thanksgiving? It would do us all good to render thanks to the Lord each and every day. Not just over our meals either! We need to do it in the morning, during the day, at meals, and even when you go to bed. Scripture says to pray without ceasing. Well, pray; giving thanks for His grace! We deserved Hell but He has provided life and life more abundantly! Praise God for the Great Saviour, Jesus Christ, whom He sent to save our wretched souls!

QUIT BRAGGING

Pride is the mask of one's own faults. – Hebrew proverb

Jeremiah 9:23-24, Thus saith the LORD, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches: But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the LORD which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the LORD.

It is one thing to brag on Jesus, it’s another to brag on yourself! When we brag on ourselves and what we can do, instead of giving God the glory for the work He does in and through us, we attempt to rob Him of that glory. Friend, we are standing on dangerous ground when we don’t acknowledge the Lord work in and through our lives!

Quit bragging on yourself and begin exalting the work of the Saviour! He said if He is lifted up, He will draw all men unto Himself! Let’s brag on what He has done and what He is doing!

SWEET FELLOWSHIP

People need other people as a performer needs an audience. People need to know that other people are depending upon them, waiting for them, pulling with them. People need people who believe in them, trust them, and expect much of them. -Evans

Galatians 2:9, And when James, Cephas, and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given unto me, they gave to me and Barnabas the right hands of fellowship; that we should go unto the heathen, and they unto the circumcision.

If there is one thing each of us needs, it is fellowship. It’s not healthy to be a recluse. It’s not healthy sitting behind a screen looking into everyone else’s life. It’s not healthy being alone. God made humans to be a people of companionship. He gave Adam, Eve. He gave Abraham, Sarah. He gave Jacob, Rebecca. And most of all, He gave His Son so that you and I could have sweet fellowship with Him!

Do you have that fellowship with others? Do you have that fellowship with God? Does He speak to you through His Word? If you’re one of His children, you can have all of this!

HE’S ALIVE

If Christ is not risen, we have no hope!

1 Corinthians 15:13-14, But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen: And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain.

We have heard the term “Fake News” a lot over the course of the past few years. Well, the terminology may be new but there have be many, down through the years, shouting fake news. Over 2,000 years ago, there were some God haters that stood, in not so many words said, “Fake News; Jesus is not alive!” But boy let me tell yah- He arose for you and guess what… He’s Still alive! Many people ask me, “How do you know He is alive?” Simple put, I know He is alive because of the life He gave me on July 12, 1992. It was then that, by faith, I trusted Jesus Christ as my Saviour! It was then that I agreed with God I was a sinner that needed the Saviour! Have you trusted Him? Do you know Him as your Saviour? If so, share with me and the world what He did for you that day when He gave you life!

WROUGHT IN CHRIST

The depths of His love for us provided salvation and much more!

Ephesians 1:20 Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places,

As we press upon this Easter Sunday, I am reminded of what Christ brought to us when He resurrected from the dead. Absolutely, it was salvation, but have you ever set down to think about the riches we have in the salvation He wrought? Have you counted the blessings He bestowed upon us? Do you remember what He saved you from? Do you know what He can do for you now?

Friend, whatever your past is, whatever you are going through right now, Jesus can do in you what He has done for so many others. Will you trust Him this morning? Will you believe in Him this morning? Will you call out to Him? Don’t delay! We are not guaranteed tomorrow! Procrastination doesn’t always work and one day, it will be too late. Today, is the day of salvation! Will you be wrought in Christ? Will you be saved today?

DEATH A MUST

Jesus died so we wouldn’t have to.

Matthew 12:40, For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.

Throughout the Old Testament we see prophecies and types of the necessity of the Messiah’s death for the redemption of mankind. I often wonder, since the Sadducees and Pharisees had parchments of these prophecies, why didn’t they see Jesus as the Messiah? Why is it that only those wise men from afar sought to worship Jesus? Why didn’t more people understand what needed to happen in order for man to have hope?

Death was a must for Jesus. It was in His death that he became the sacrifice for man’s sin. Praise God He didn’t stay dead! Three days later He arose from the dead; conquering death, hell, and the grave! Good news friend, He’s coming back to take us to be with Him forever and ever!

JUST SERVE

The measure of a man is not the number of his servants, but the number of people he serves. -Moody

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.

There is a lot to do in a church. Mowing, sweeping, running the sound, vacuuming, finances, song leader, teaching Sunday school, kid’s clubs, social networking, prayer warriors, and a host of other things for everyone to do something. In serving in the local church, we are serving God by serving people. Not just any people, but people who want to learn, follow, and grow in God’s grace.

How are you serving in your local church? Are you a member? Do you know why there is a need for more people to serve? Do you know what Scripture says about the Pastor and what his responsibility is in the church?

Instead of thinking about what a church can do for you, ask how you can serve the Lord by serving in the church!

REEL YOUR THOUGHTS IN

The biggest battle we fight each day begins between the ears on our own head!

2 Corinthians 10:4-5, (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;

Every temptation begins in our mind. We see something, smell something, hear something, taste something and then our will begins to fight with the Spirit. What we do next will either deliver us from sin or it will lead us deeper into it. The more we give place to it, the darker the sin will become.

A man doesn’t wake up one day and kill their neighbor that is loud and obnoxious. Over a progression of time, not dealing with sin, will lead to some dark times in our life! We must reel our thoughts in, saturate them with the Truth of God’s Word, and repent! God will give the victory

Will you win the battle of the flesh today? Or, will you succumb to the temptation to reject God’s authority in your life? The choice is up to you!  

DONE NOT DO

Human nature's way of salvation is, "Do, do, do."  But God's way of salvation is, "Done, done, it is all done." You have but to rely by faith on the atonement that Christ accomplished on the cross. -Spurgeon

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.

You can’t work your way to Heaven friend! You have to come by grace through faith! When Jesus was on the cross He said, “It is finished.” I believe He meant it! So much so that I don’t have to work for it or to keep it. I don’t have to do because it is done!

MAN NEEDS HELP

Behind every good man, there is a God who provides for him!

Genesis 1:29, And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat.

Genesis 2:18, And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.

Galatians 4:4-5, But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.

Prior to God creating Adam, He created everything Adam needed to sustain his physical life. In the garden, God saw Adam needed a helper so, He gave him Eve. Before the fall of man, God knew man was going to need the Saviour so, in the fulness of time, God sent Jesus to do that what the blood animals could never do; wash away the sin of the world.

No matter how strong you think you are, you still need Jesus! No matter how wise you think you are, you’re not smarter than God. No matter how good at deception you may be, you will never fool God. He knows you! He is stronger than you. He is wiser than you! And yet, He sent His Son to die on Calvary’s tree for you! You need Jesus! Will you repent and trust Him as your Saviour today? Will you take a hand up?

MADE TO DO HIS WILL

There is but one question, and that is the will of God. That settles all other questions. --William E. Gladstone

Hebrews 13:20-21, Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, Make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is wellpleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

I am sure you have heard that God equips the called. What that means is that while you may have some natural talents; God doesn’t necessarily need any of them in order for you to do what God desires for your life. He will give you everything you need to do His will. And don’t think for a moment that God cannot give you the abilities you need for you to do His Will.

            You may be able to naturally sing, but if God wants you to build churches; He will give you the talents to do such. You might be able to keep the attention of a group of kids for hours, but God may want you to teach the adult Sunday School class. You might be able to build houses, bridges, or install HVAC equipment, but God may want you to preach the Gospel to this lost, dying, and hurting generation. He will call you, equip you, and give you a place to serve Him! Be patient Child of God; He is still working on all of us! But serve right where you are at!