Dependent and Dependable

We live in a world that puts much emphasis on individuality or independence. We just celebrated our countries freedom from England 248 years ago but it looks like we have forgotten the reason our country sought that freedom.

The word dependent is an adjective which is defines as relying on someone or something else for aid, support, etc., conditioned or determined by something else.

In spite of the emphasis on being independent we have in this nation one of the most dependent generations in our country’s history, in 2022 we have 81 million people in Medicaid or 24.3% up from 12.4% of the population in 1975 and 41 million receive Food Stamps.

We have an epidemic in a country that is dependent on pharmaceutical drugs with 66% of all adults using prescription drugs, 2012 research from the Consumer Healthcare Products Association found that 81% of adults use some kind of drug as a first response to minor conditions.

21% of adolescents between the ages of 12-17 have experienced symptoms of anxiety in a two-week period of a survey given in December of 2022, more than 42% felt persistently sad or hopeless, 22% considered suicide, and 10% attempted suicide in 2021.

Our world especially the USA is a dependent nation.

As Christians, we are too dependent, but dependent in an entirely different way. As the world tells us to be independent not reliant on one another, the bible says differently.

Heb 10:24, “And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.”

1Co 12:12-14, “For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ. For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit. For the body is not one member, but many.

God has built His church to be not a kingdom governed by one or a few individuals, Jesus Christ is the head and everybody else is part of the rest of the body.

We need to have dependence on one another in our Christian Walk but where should our total dependance be put on?

Psa 62:1-8, “To the chief Musician, to Jeduthun, A Psalm of David. Truly my soul waiteth upon God: from him cometh my salvation. He only is my rock and my salvation; he is my defence; I shall not be greatly moved. How long will ye imagine mischief against a man? ye shall be slain all of you: as a bowing wall shall ye be, and as a tottering fence. They only consult to cast him down from his excellency: they delight in lies: they bless with their mouth, but they curse inwardly. Selah. My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from him. He only is my rock and my salvation: he is my defence; I shall not be moved. In God is my salvation and my glory: the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God. Trust in him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before him: God is a refuge for us. Selah.”

John, “15:4-7, “Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.”

Our hope is built in nothing less than Jesus Christ and His righteousness!

Dependable means to be trustworthy and reliable, we all have a dependable God, but are we not supposed to be dependable as well?

1Corinthians 4:1-2, “Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God. Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.”

Luke 16:10, “He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much.”

I don’t know about you but the more I realize that I’m not that super-Christian that I thought I once was, that the forgiveness Jesus Christ has given me through the blood He shed for me, I have a debt I can never pay.

Luke 4:41-48, “There was a certain creditor which had two debtors: the one owed five hundred pence, and the other fifty. And when they had nothing to pay, he frankly forgave them both. Tell me therefore, which of them will love him most? Simon answered and said, I suppose that he, to whom he forgave most. And he said unto him, Thou hast rightly judged. And he turned to the woman, and said unto Simon, Seest thou this woman? I entered into thine house, thou gavest me no water for my feet: but she hath washed my feet with tears, and wiped them with the hairs of her head. Thou gavest me no kiss: but this woman since the time I came in hath not ceased to kiss my feet. My head with oil thou didst not anoint: but this woman hath anointed my feet with ointment. Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little. And he said unto her, Thy sins are forgiven.”

1Co 15:10, “But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.”

It doesn’t matter what task it is, whatever it is, do it as you are doing it for the Lord! We don’t labore to earn anything but only because we love Him!

Matthew 25:21, “His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.”

Picture care of: franksonnenbergononline.com

The Importance of Fathers

Ephesians 6:1-4, “Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right. Honour thy father and mother; (which is the first commandment with promise;) That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth. And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.”

In our world today there is a lot of importance placed on sports figures, politicians, educators, jobs, etc

But one area that should receive a lot more notoriety is the “father”!

Now I’m well aware that we have in our world fathers that are truly unfit for that title, whether they are abusive emotionally or physically there are times that it is best for that person to be out of the picture.

In the Guardians of the Galaxy we have Yondu telling Star-Lord at the end of #2 that Ego may have been his father but he was not his daddy.

We also need to be sensitive to the fathers who have lost a child that this can be a difficult time. As a father who has lost two children, I’m well aware of the pain of waiting for that text message, phone call, or card that never will come. I pray the comforter Jesus Christ will comfort you on this day and the days to come.

But overall, the “Father” is an important figure in the health of the family. Proverbs 23:22-26, “Hearken unto thy father that begat thee, and despise not thy mother when she is old. Buy the truth, and sell it not; also wisdom, and instruction, and understanding. The father of the righteous shall greatly rejoice: and he that begetteth a wise child shall have joy of him. Thy father and thy mother shall be glad, and she that bare thee shall rejoice. My son, give me thine heart, and let thine eyes observe my ways.”

In 1968, 85% of children under 18 lived with two parents (regardless of marital status); by 2020, 70% did, according to the Census Bureau’s Current Population Survey (CPS).

Fatherhood Initiative https://fatherhoodinitiative.org/research

Fatherless Homes Account For:

63% of Youth Suicides

71% of High School Dropouts

90% of Homeless: & Runaway Children

2x more likely to drop out of high school

4x more likely to grow up in poverty.

7x more likely to become pregnant as a teen.

1 in 4 children grow up without a father in the home.

Among the different ethnic groups, the numbers are even become more staggering:

Among whites 78.6% have homes with both parents, Hispanics have 67.9%, but among blacks you have only 41.3% of both parents living in the same home.

There are currently more than 17,000,000 (other research suggests nearly 30,000,000) children growing up in America without their fathers.

One of the main contributors to fatherlessness are divorce and out-of-wedlock births. In 2019 there were 1,498,113 out-of-wedlock births. That is 40% of all births in the United States.

Matthew 24:37-38, “But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark,”

Children need both parents and with the growing absence of fathers, the focus is on the need for them. I applaud the single mothers that work so hard and are doing the best job they can alone, but we need to have fathers step up and do the job God ordained them to do!

Proverbs 22:6, “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” Fathers have the responsibility to teach children in the ways of the Lord.

This doesn’t always guarantee that our children will always do what’s right and that at times may even break our hearts. But no matter what we will love them.

The best way to understand the love that God has for us is to have children, the story of the prodigal son is a perfect example of Gods love for us, Luke 15:17-24, “And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father’s have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee, And am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants. And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him. And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son. But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet: And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry: For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry.”

We need Fathers!

Picture care of: YouTube.com

All Scripture

2Timothy 3:16-17, “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.”

In a recent interview with The Christian Post, George Barna, founder of the Barna Group which is one of leading voices on cultural trends, had a stark warning for a declining Christian Church. “People have become more selfish, churches have become less influential, pastors have become less Bible-centric,” said Barna of the current climate. “Families have invested less of their time and energy in spiritual growth, particularly of their children. The media now influences the Church more than the Church influences the media, or the culture for that matter. The Christian Body tends to get off track arguing about a lot of things that really don’t matter,” he said.

Rom 12:2, “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.”

One thing Barna has seen that worries him is how churches focus more on attendance numbers and buildings rather than discipleship and knowledge of the Bible. “You get what you measure. So, if you measure the wrong things, you’ll get the wrong outcomes … [pastors] measure how many people show up, how much money they raise, how many programs they offer, how many staff persons they hire, how much square footage they built out. Jesus didn’t die for any of that. So, we’re measuring the wrong stuff and, consequently, we get the wrong outcomes,” he said. The American Bible Society’s “State of the Bible USA 2024” found that the number of Americans who engage with the Bible three or four times a year outside of church has dropped to just 38%.

Psa 1:1, “Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.”

Barna stated that the solution is to focus more on children and families. “We need to go back and recognize it starts with families; parents have the primary responsibility to raise their children to become spiritual champions … local churches need to support parents in that endeavor. Our primary focus needs to be on children … and growing their biblical worldview. If we do that, we’ll be able to grow the 3 percent of adults who are disciples in America today to a larger proportion,” he said. He also emphasized the importance of worldview. “What I’m seeing now is that we’re getting to this place where the typical American … will not have anyone in their circle of influence who has a biblical worldview. You’re not going to be influenced with God’s truth,” he said. Barna’s Cultural Research Center at Arizona Christian University found that only 4% of Americans hold a Biblical worldview, dropping from 6%.

1Co 2:1, “And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God. For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified. And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling. And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power:”

According to Barna, a biblical worldview is described as “believing that absolute moral truths exist; that such truth is defined by the Bible; and firm belief in six specific religious views. Those views were that Jesus Christ lived a sinless life; God is the all-powerful and all-knowing Creator of the universe and He stills rules it today; salvation is a gift from God and cannot be earned; Satan is real; a Christian has a responsibility to share their faith in Christ with other people; and the Bible is accurate in all of its teachings.”

Amo 8:11-13, “Behold, the days come, saith the Lord GOD, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD: And they shall wander from sea to sea, and from the north even to the east, they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the LORD, and shall not find it. In that day shall the fair virgins and young men faint for thirst.”

Barna found that a Biblical worldview drastically changed an individual’s behavior, such as more sexual purity, less gambling, and less drunkenness. “These are not perfect people,” said Barna, “but once they catch on to the critical principles found in the Bible and train their minds to incorporate those views into their thinking, their behavior varies noticeably from the norm.”

Corinthians 6:9-11, “Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.”

2Ti 3:16, “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.”

Picture care of: worshiphousemedia.com

Pentecost Sunday

Romans 12:1-2, “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.”

Conforming to the world, its not really a new thing, it’s been happening from the onset of the church and even before, Galatians 1:6, “I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel:”

The world can twist, refute, dilute, delete, and compromise the Word of God in pretty much any matter including salvation!

Jude 3-4, “Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints. For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.” On this Pentecost Sunday let us contend for the “Faith”.

There are not many ways to get to heaven as many Hollywood personalities have claimed as well as some biblically ignorant churches, Oprah Winfrey says this, “Well, I am a Christian who believes that there are certainly many more paths to God other than Christianity” Steve Harvey also believes this.

What’s worse is that an ever-increasing number of church goers believe that your good works will get you into heaven. According to a Christian post article from September 2022, over a third of senior pastors believe, “good people” can earn their way to heaven.

Psalms 14:1-3, “To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good. The LORD looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, and seek God. They are all gone aside, they are all together become filthy: there is none that doeth good, no, not one.” Your “good” works cannot get you into heaven!

If we had multiple choices to make heaven, I would think the Apostles would have been witness to that, Acts 2:1-4, “And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.”

This attracted a crowd questioning what was happening in which the Apostle Peter stands up to explain this phenomenon in verse 21 he says, “And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

Peter doesn’t stop there but continues on talking of Jesus and the resurrection which then brings us to the question that we all need to come to in our life, when we realize we were sinners that needed a Savior, Acts 2:37, “Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?”

This is where we should see an option lists if there are other ways to salvation, Acts 2:38-42, “then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call. And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation. Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls. And they continued stedfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.”

We can find this same formula in Acts chapters 8,10, and 19 which is the only formula to fulfill the Born-Again experience in the Gospel of John.

The book of Acts of the Apostles is the only NT book that gives us the history of the birth of the church. The “Epistles” to follow, literally, “letters” contain topics that the author which often carried an admonition to turn away from sinful things with instructions about how to live a life as a believer in Christ.

These are written to “saints” example, Galatians 1:1-5, “Paul, an apostle, (not of men, neither by man, but by Jesus Christ, and God the Father, who raised him from the dead;) And all the brethren which are with me, unto the churches of Galatia: Grace be to you and peace from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ, Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father: To whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.”

Galatians 1:9, “As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.”

We will not conform to the world’s standards in doctrine and especially when it comes to what the Word of God tells us when it comes to salvation!

Picture care of:topholidaylist.com

The Price Has Been Paid!

1Corinthians 7:23, “Ye are bought with a price; be not ye the servants of men.”

What is the value of a human being? The U.S. government federal agencies have a very specific answer. They say a human life is worth about $10 million. 80 quadrillion dollars. A housewife would be considered worth an estimated salary of $113,586.00 per year.

Psalms 51:5, “Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.”

Ways To Evangelize Effectively – STOP USING THE WORD “SIN!” by Robert Wimer|Published December 31, 2019, stated this,

“Probably the worst thing you could do when evangelizing to anyone is to use the word “sin.” It’s a word that has no meaning to anyone except Christians. Jesus never used it, but this is what He did do.” WRONG!

Joh 8:34, “Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin.”

Rom 5:12, “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:”

Romans 6:23, “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

I read recently that one very large church in their invitation to the public won’t use the words “blood of Jesus”, “calvary”or “resurrection” in an effort to make their church more accessible to a wider audience, they have chosen not to use certain words that might alienate potential non-Christian attendees.

When talking about our salvation the “blood of Jesus” is an extremely important doctrine that we need to understand.

Leviticus 17:11, “For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul.”

In the sacrifice that was required of the Israelites, blood was the main ingredient in it, Hebrews 9:18-22, “Whereupon neither the first testament was dedicated without blood. For when Moses had spoken every precept to all the people according to the law, he took the blood of calves and of goats, with water, and scarlet wool, and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book, and all the people, Saying, This is the blood of the testament which God hath enjoined unto you. Moreover he sprinkled with blood both the tabernacle, and all the vessels of the ministry. And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission.”

This is no more apparent in the “Passover” found in Exodus 11-19, a lamb without blemish was to be sacrificed, “Exodus 12:5-8, “Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year: ye shall take it out from the sheep, or from the goats: And ye shall keep it up until the fourteenth day of the same month: and the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it in the evening. And they shall take of the blood, and strike it on the two side posts and on the upper door post of the houses, wherein they shall eat it. And they shall eat the flesh in that night, roast with fire, and unleavened bread; and with bitter herbs they shall eat it.”

Now I have heard that the angel of death only had to see the blood upon the doorposts and would Passover that house no matter who was inside the home.

But there was a preparation made before the blood was applied, the house was to be rid of leaven which often is referenced as “sin” in the bible. Like wise before the blood of Christ can be applied in our lives, we need to do one thing! Acts 2:38

Matthew 26:26-28, “And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body. And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it; For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.”

1 Peter 1:18-20, “Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you,” How precious is that blood?

The price has been paid and God had the plan for it before the creation of this world.

One of the last things Jesus mentioned on the cross was “It is Finished”. Telling us the era of the law was over, Jesus came not to destroy the law but fulfill it and the beginning of the era of Grace was to begin.

The one thing that amazes me in all this is Romans 5:6-8, “For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die.”

Hebrews 12:1-2, “Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

You looking unto the author and finisher of our faith?

1Corinthians 6:19-20, “What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s”

We can because the Price has been PAID!

picture care of: heaven or hell-praise-and-worsip.com

You Grace is Sufficient

2 Corinthians 12:6-10, “For though I would desire to glory, I shall not be a fool; for I will say the truth: but now I forbear, lest any man should think of me above that which he seeth me to be, or that he heareth of me. And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.”

There are many thoughts about what this thorn in the Apostles Paul’s side was, if it was a physical problem or may have been a spiritual one but the Lord clearly tells him that his prayer for it to go away would not happen but to rely on God;s grace in dealing with it.

Today I’m going to attempt to answer one of the “why” questions.

There are biblical reasons for our prayers seemingly being not answered and the main reason is because we have sin in our lives. Isa 59:2, “But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.”

It maybe be for a selfish reason, James 4:3, “Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.”

Lack of faith is another, James 1:6-8 , “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. For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.”

Other reasons are that you didn’t ask or its not God’s timing and so on.

First thing we need to understand is that God is not the cause of suffering in this world. Ultimately, it’s man that brought sin and death upon all mankind.

Who brought the thorn in Paul’s side? Yep, Satan

I’m not positive who the author of the book of Job is but who is the one who brought death to Job’s family? Who caused illness to Job?

When God spoke to Job, did He ever explain why these things happened to Job?

Isaiah 55:6-12 tells us that God is sovereign!

Now, if you’re not Born Again of the water and Spirit, God has no obligation to hear your prayer, Matthew 7:21-23, “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.”

But paise God he can and will answer prayers of those not in the “Born Again” group as many of us would not be here if Jesus hadn’t answered our pray in those dark days of our lives. Matthew 15:21-28, “Then Jesus went thence, and departed into the coasts of Tyre and Sidon. And, behold, a woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts, and cried unto him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou Son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil. But he answered her not a word. And his disciples came and besought him, saying, Send her away; for she crieth after us. But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel. Then came she and worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me. But he answered and said, It is not meet to take the children’s bread, and to cast it to dogs. And she said, Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table. Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour”

John 9:39, “And Jesus said, For judgment I am come into this world, that they which see not might see; and that they which see might be made blind.”

God does not cause sickness, Matthew 17:14-18, “And when they were come to the multitude, there came to him a certain man, kneeling down to him, and saying, Lord, have mercy on my son: for he is lunatick, and sore vexed: for ofttimes he falleth into the fire, and oft into the water. And I brought him to thy disciples, and they could not cure him. Then Jesus answered and said, O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him hither to me. And Jesus rebuked the devil; and he departed out of him: and the child was cured from that very hour.”

God is not the source of death, Romans 6:23, “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

John 10:10, “The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.”

So, we can easily see why there is sickness and death in this world but that doesn’t answer why it seems God does not answer our prayers, I mean we ask, we believe, we repent of our sins, we forgive others, so why?

It really goes to our feeble thoughts of who God is and how merciful He is!

1Timothy 1:12-16, “And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry; Who was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious: but I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief. And the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus. This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief. Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting.”

We live in a corrupt fallen world, where every evil imaginable is possible, where sickness, murder, death is rampant, where a child in what should be the safest place you could imagine is in danger. Where governments that were established to protect your freedoms are taking them away and looking for complete control every facet of your life. Where Jesus Christ and His followers have become a threat to this control and are labeled as bigots and racist.

In a way God has answered the prayers of this world and that prayer is for God to leave us alone! Let us decide for ourselves what is right and wrong.

But I also contend that Jesus does hear the prayers of His children Psalms 66:19-20, “But verily God hath heard me; he hath attended to the voice of my prayer. Blessed be God, which hath not turned away my prayer, nor his mercy from me.”

This my not answer in its entirety the “Why” question since in this life we may not get that answer but God does hear and sometimes we don’t like the answer. Never lose that trust and get caught up in the lie of the devil that God just doesn’t care for He does!

picture care of;velvetashes.com

The Promise

Promises made, promises kept used to be the saying, not so much anymore!

A promise is an assurance similar to a vow or a pledge where one will do, give, or arrange something, undertake, or declare that an event will happen. A promise is sacred and verbal commitment that isn’t to be broken.

We all of unfortunately been the victim of a broken promise and try as we may, have been guilty of breaking a promise sadly. It used to be that “your word is your bond”.

There is someone who will always keep His promise, Titus 1:1-2, “Paul, a servant of God, and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God’s elect, and the acknowledging of the truth which is after godliness; In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began;”

Let’s look at the greatest promise ever made in the History of mankind that came about by a major mess up at the very beginning of mankind.

The man Adam was created with the best of everything with only one instruction to not do something which was to not eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Genesis 3:1-3, “Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.”

There were several consequence of this disobedience to God and first was to the serpent, “And the LORD God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life:”

With that comes the first promise from God of a redeemer one day, Genesis 3:15, “And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.”

Throughout the entire Old Testament, we have the hope that this Messiah would be appearing soon. But for 4000 years as man waited even though having many miracles are recorded this miracle was not fulfilled.

It has been said that we have over 300 prophecies about that birth, life, and death of the Messiah and the book of Isaiah is the clearest about what to look for about the promise.

A virgin; Isaiah 7:14, “Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.”

The Name; Isaiah 9:6-7, “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.”

His lineage; Jeremiah 23:5-6, “Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth. In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is his name whereby he shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.”

A forerunner; Isaiah 40:3-4, “The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain:”

The promises of the place of the birth of Jesus is also mentioned in Micah 5:2, “But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.”

So when were these promises fulfilled?

Mark 1:1-4, “The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God; As it is written in the prophets, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee. The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. John did baptize in the wilderness, and preach the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins.”

Luke 1:26-33, “And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women. And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be. And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.”

Luke 2:1-7, “And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed. (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.) And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:) To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child. And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.

So, with all these promises and more how could the nation of Israel miss the coming of the Lord?

The promises of God didn’t end with the birth of the Messiah, for each of us are given a promise if we are willing to accept it, Acts 2:38-39, “Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.”

Our lord also promises in no matter what situation you are in that you will never be alone, 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.”

We also have the promise that Jesus is going to come back for us, John 14:1-3, “Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.”

This place is going to be the most wonderful place and beyond our imaginations, Revelations 21:4, “And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.”

Jesus Christ is and will always be the GREATEST PROMISE

Picture care of: bathosdeeper.blogspot.com/

Without the Shedding of Blood!

Hebrews 9:22, “And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission.”

The first instance of something shedding its blood in the word of God was whatever animal that was killed to cover Adam and Eve after the fall. Genesis 3:21, “Unto Adam also and to his wife did the LORD God make coats of skins, and clothed them.”

The 1^st time we have the blood of man mentioned is when Cain slew Abel, Genesis 4:10, “And he said, What hast thou done? the voice of thy brother’s blood crieth unto me from the ground.”

God had designs of when blood should be shed, Leviticus 17:11, “For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul.”

Atonement, to cover, thank the Lord, for when Adam sinned, we all came under the curse not just of this world but a death, both physical as well as spiritual, Genesis 2:15-17, “And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it. And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.”

This was not a blood to be taken eternally, Lev 17:10 And whatsoever man there be of the house of Israel, or of the strangers that sojourn among you, that eateth any manner of blood; I will even set my face against that soul that eateth blood, and will cut him off from among his people.

Drinking of the blood of animals and others was thought to cure disease and offer one longer life, Pope Innocent VIII was dying in 1492 and was allegedly given the blood of three boys in hopes of channeling some of their youthful energy. Many religions (cults) use blood of animals and people in their evil ceremonies.

Bloodletting was also thought to give relief to individuals such as bleeding the veins between the eyebrows to alleviates headaches, or under the tongue for chest pains or tonsillar abscess, or cutting the saphenous vein to ease menstrual problems.

In 1666 we have the 1^st mention of a scientific report on transfusions which wasn’t very successful as they would use animals to humans, or just anybody. It wasn’t until 1900 when the discovery of blood types that blood transfusions started to become more successful and thus acceptable.

So, the Bible was true over 4000 years ago when it mentions that the. “life of the flesh is in the blood”

Animal blood was used in covering of sin for the Jewish faith for thousands of years before it was abolished by the Roman emperor Titus destroyed the temple in 70AD. Because of the various celebrations or feasts that Israel was required to have it is said that a minimum of 1367 animals were sacrificed each year, and when Solomon dedicated the temple an estimated 250,000 animals were sacrificed that day.

Hebrews 9:1-7, “Then verily the first covenant had also ordinances of divine service, and a worldly sanctuary. For there was a tabernacle made; the first, wherein was the candlestick, and the table, and the shewbread; which is called the sanctuary. And after the second veil, the tabernacle which is called the Holiest of all; Which had the golden censer, and the ark of the covenant overlaid round about with gold, wherein was the golden pot that had manna, and Aaron’s rod that budded, and the tables of the covenant; And over it the cherubims of glory shadowing the mercyseat; of which we cannot now speak particularly. Now when these things were thus ordained, the priests went always into the first tabernacle, accomplishing the service of God. But into the second went the high priest alone once every year, not without blood, which he offered for himself, and for the errors of the people:”

This blood however lacked one thing, Hebrew 10:4, “For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins.” Acts 2:38, “Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.”

So, are we still in our sins since the sacrifice of animals for our sins isn’t happening? We have been given a much better sacrificial animal, a Lamb!

John 1:29, “The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.” 1Peter 1:18-19, “Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:”

Hebrews 9:11-14, “But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building; Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us. For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh: How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?”

Jesus sacrifice only needed to be done once to satisfy the blood requirement! Aren’t you thankful for the blood?

Picture care of: blogspot.com

Meditate On The Word

Psalms 1:1-2, “Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.”

Meditation, what do you think of when someone says that word? Sitting in front of a buddha statue with burning incense?

Mediation just like prayer is not an exclusive to the Christian faith but you will find it many different circles and it seems to has become more popular in our crazy world. The world looks toward meditation as meant to relax or calm the mind, breathe control is a large part of it so you can free yourself of your external surroundings to learn to access the wealth of qualities that already exists within us such as goodness and compassion.

This is not what God’s word says about meditation in our life as a Christian!

There is a purpose far above looking into our inward depths to find meaning in our lives, Psalms 119:97. “O how love I thy law! it is my meditation all the day.” Joshua 1:8, “This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.”

Interesting that its not something that you designate a time to do it, but its both night as well as day, just like prayer 1Thessalonians 5:17, “Pray without ceasing.”

Meditation is more than just reading the word of God; reading is primarily the assimilation of facts without application. Mediation is using those facts to transform your life, Romans 12:2, “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.” Reading is good but meditation or studying is better!

The word of God also is specific on what you should meditate on, Psalms 119:15, “I will meditate in thy precepts, and have respect unto thy ways.”

It takes effort to meditate, Psalms 119:99-100, “I have more understanding than all my teachers: for thy testimonies are my meditation. I understand more than the ancients, because I keep thy precepts.” 1Timothy 4:11-15, “These things command and teach. 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. Till I come, give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine. Neglect not the gift that is in thee, which was given thee by prophecy, with the laying on of the hands of the presbytery. Meditate upon these things; give thyself wholly to them; that thy profiting may appear to all.”

As well as many benefits, Psalms 119:101-105, “I have refrained my feet from every evil way, that I might keep thy word. I have not departed from thy judgments: for thou hast taught me. How sweet are thy words unto my taste! yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth! Through thy precepts I get understanding: therefore I hate every false way. Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.” Psalms 104.:34, “My meditation of him shall be sweet: I will be glad in the LORD” Psalms 1:3, “And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.”

Music can play a huge roll in getting God’s word down into your inner being if you meditate (think) on what’s being said in the song as many songs have scripture interwoven in them. You can just sing the words with little emotion or feeling, or you can meditate on the words and allow yourself to connect to Jesus through them.

Philippians 4:6-9, “Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.”

picture care of; knowingjesus.com

What is Your Gift?

By Pastor Jeff,

This is the greatest gift you can give Jesus not just today but everyday of your life.

Matthew 2:1-11, “Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him. When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born. And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judaea: for thus it is written by the prophet, And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel. Then Herod, when he had privily called the wise men, inquired of them diligently what time the star appeared. And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, Go and search diligently for the young child; and when ye have found him, bring me word again, that I may come and worship him also. When they had heard the king, they departed; and, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy. And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh.”

Now I want to point out a couple of traditions that have been added to the Christmas story that the bible doesn’t speak on, one was that there were only three wise men, we see that three gifts were given but scripture doesn’t say it was by just three wise men, there could of been hundreds for all we know. The other is that the wise men came the night that Jesus was born, in fact when the wise men did have their encounter the scripture tells us he was a young child and based on Herod sending his soldiers to kill all the male children two and under, Jesus could of been that age when the wise men did appear before the child Jesus.

With that we will look at the three gifts that the Wise men brought, Gold, Frankincense, and Myrrh. The gold had a great monetary value and had to help during the upbringing of Jesus as Joseph, Mary, and family had to move more than once until they settled in Nazareth. Frankincense was a resin from the shrubs that grew in the mountain ranges that border Dhofar, Myrrh was also a resin from the Horn of Africa. These were very valuable and may even been more costly than the gold as frankincense was used by Kings and myrrh was used for funeral rites because of its strong aromatic scent. Some speculate that these three items would value in the millions of dollars but of course it that can’t be confirmed.

These valuable gifts were important in the life of Jesus but the question I have for you, is what gift do you bring to Jesus? Some may say our offerings of money, or a vow to pray, read your bible more, and so on it what our gift is, but I tell you that is not what Jesus wants. But you say I have nothing else to give, you say surely wouldn’t want this man of sin, Psalms 8:3-4, “When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained;What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?” Indeed!

Thank God, that isn’t the way God sees us Psalms 139:14, “I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.” Romans 5:8, “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” I contend if you were the only person in this world that needed saving, Jesus would of still of come taken on the form of man, been rejected, suffered, died, buried, and Resurrected just for you. That’s the value Jesus puts on you, Jesus didn’t come for your bank account, your house, your cars, or any other material thing, He came for YOU! The best gift you could possibly give Jesus this Christmas and any other day is your Life, obey Acts 2:38 and become Born Again, don’t delay for we do not know that this may be the last Christmas we have before He returns.

picture care of:pathmegazine.com