A Permanent Vacation

Hello everyone,

Earlier today I was listening to a young lady talk about spending the last few days in 90° weather only to get home and find it was 20° cooler. She said that as soon as she stepped off the plane, she knew she wanted to go back where she just left. I asked her where she had been and she said in Florida. She told me that everything was perfect with the temperature, with the weather, and there was nothing but blue skies. I knew exactly how she felt because sometimes those vacation days go by too fast. You find yourself wishing you could immediately be back there again. As I relate this with our walk with the Lord, I would be one of the first to admit that sometimes I need a vacation from this world, its sin and the devil. Unfortunately, the devil never takes a vacation and that as a Christian you always have a target on your back. Satan is going about as a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour. Going to Florida may not be accessible to us as much as we wish it could be, but I’m happy to report to you that going to the Throne Room of God is always accessible. Just as you would leave one place and head out to another place, you may find that getting there was a little difficult. Yet once you arrive, you know that it was worth it to make the effort to get there. As you go to God in prayer, it may not be easy at first, but once you get there, all of life’s troubles seem to fade for a while. As that young lady was ready to go back to Florida in lieu of her wonderful experience there, I am the exact same way with the Lord. He knows how to calm the troubled waters of my soul, and to give me joy unspeakable and full of glory. The Lord knows how to move aside those gray skies in my life and let his light shine in. He has removed my guilt and my shame and has given me purpose and that purpose is to serve him as Lord of my life. I know that not everything in life is perfect but with the Lord I want to be like Solomon who said that He is all together lovely. I spent many years believing that I was ok and on my way to heaven, only for the Lord to show me that I was lost and on my way to hell. Many people are going to miss Heaven by 18 inches because they had a HEAD knowledge and not a HEART knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. Someday soon the Lord is gonna call his church out of this old world and we’re gonna be heading up to Heaven. When that day takes place, it will be a permanent vacation for the child of God. Do you know him as Lord of your life today? My prayer is that if you don’t know him as your savior that today you will ask him to come into your heart. I love you till the next time and may God bless.

Don’t worry about it just pray

"Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen." 

The Perfect Tree

The Lord brought to my mind what it was possibly like to see Zacchaeus climb up the sycamore tree. Zacchaeus was a little man, and wanted to see Jesus, so he climbed a sycamore tree. There may have been a small number who noticed Zacchaeus as he started up the tree but I’m sure most did not take much notice because they were looking to see Jesus. My thought here is simple in that no matter what your stature is in life or what life is thrown at you, Jesus knows where you are at. It may have caught Zacchaeus off guard when Jesus looked up at him in that tree and asked him to come down. I’m glad that Zacchaeus hastened to come down to where Jesus was, for that move changed his life forever. Perhaps you are in a position in life where you want to see Jesus, but there are too many things or too many people in the way. I encourage you today to take a moment and look beyond those things that are in the way or those people that are in the way and climb up your sycamore tree so you can see Jesus. I lived 60 years thinking I was OK with God and on my way to heaven yet not realizing if I were to die it would be eternally without God. I’m glad that God planted a sycamore tree in my life so that I could climb above the things of this world and see Jesus. Many times I look back at my life and wonder how can Jesus love someone like me? But He did!!!

Jesus changed my life. He changed my perspective from what I can do for myself to what He can do through me and He’ll do the same for you. I’m only trying to be an encouragement today in saying that we should call upon the Lord while He may be found. Everything that is going on around us whether it be here in America or around the world has not caught God by surprise. Make sure that you are saved and on your way to Heaven. Today could be the day the Jesus takes the church out, so make sure you know him as Lord of your life. May God bless.

Lord, You Know I Love You

I am reminded in scripture when the Lord asked Peter three times “ Peter do you love me?“ One of the responses that Peter gave was simply “Lord, You know that I love you.” In our walk with the Lord, would it be easy for someone to look our way and question our love for the Lord because of our life. My thought is what Peter said to the Lord, in that, “Lord, You know that I love you”. The Lord knows already how much you and I love him. Peter had denied the Lord three times yet Jesus knew that even in the mist of Peter’s failure he would be used mightily for God. You go back to that familiar story of David and his affair with Bathsheba. David had failed God greatly yet God said David was a man after God’s own heart. I want to be an encouragement this evening by saying that God loves you with an everlasting love and he knows exactly how much you love Him. You may feel like you are in your lowest place right now, but God loves you and He knows how much you love Him. Oh… I’m glad God knows the hearts of His children. I’m not saying that it’s okay to live any ol’ way just because Jesus loves us. I’m saying that we should not only love Him but live like we love Him. We Love Him because He first loved us and gave Himself a ransom for us with His own blood on the cross of Calvary. He looked beyond our faults and saw us in our need and made a way for us to be able to live with Him in Heaven. All we have to do is ask Him to forgive us for our sins and to come into our hearts and save us and Heaven becomes our future home when we leave this world. Hope you know Him as Lord of your life today and may the Lord bless you and keep you always.

My Record is True

Hello everyone,

How many times have you heard someone say these words … “just for the record”… then they begin to clarify what they wanted to say. They want to make sure that you totally understand where they are coming from. You can be in a courtroom setting and hear that same phrase several times throughout the court proceedings.

I can’t help but think to myself about the verse there in 1 John 5:11 which says… “And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.”

Folks, many times people have used that phrase and were not completely true in what they were saying. Just because they were in a court room did not necessarily mean they were telling the truth. Yet as we read this verse in 1 John 5:11, we can rest assured that the words are TRUE!!! The day I ask Jesus to come into my heart, He did!! He gave me eternal life and this life is in Jesus!

How do I know it is true? It is true because He said “THIS IS THE RECORD”…

Jesus said these words in John 8:14… "Though I bear record of myself, yet my record is true for I know whence I came, and whither I go; …

I’m so happy I know Jesus and He knows me!!! Yes by my name!!!

This Is The Record!!!

Have a great day till the next time.

If God Had Written It

Good afternoon: Just a couple of days ago, I was listening to a preacher on the radio. He said that he was invited to an elementary school to speak to the children during assembly. He was on the platform watching the children as they filed in making their way to their seats. As he sat there a young girl possibly around eight years old stopped in front of the podium and looked up at the preacher and said these words… “Preacher, is it too late for me to be able to go to Heaven?”

Folks, can you imagine that? Such a young age, and concerned about where she will spend eternity. Had Satan convinced her she had no hope for Heaven?

Satan has no regard for age except to trap them in his web no matter what their age is. Whether you are 8 years old, a young person in some university, or an 80 year old, Satan wants to condemn your soul to a place called hell. I lived so many years a lost church goer thinking I was okay. Satan had convinced me that everything was okay between me and God because I had been going to church all my life. It was the Holy Spirit Who revealed to me my lost condition and convicted me of my sinful deeds. I’m glad the Lord didn’t give up on me and because of it I’m born again today. Have you been born into the family of God? Has Satan played you for a fool? If you’re not sure you are headed to Heaven then ask Christ into your heart today. It will be a decision you’ll never regret.

Is It Too Late For Me

Good afternoon: Just a couple of days ago, I was listening to a preacher on the radio. He said that he was invited to an elementary school to speak to the children during assembly. He was on the platform watching the children as they filed in making their way to their seats. As he sat there a young girl possibly around eight years old stopped in front of the podium and looked up at the preacher and said these words… “Preacher, is it too late for me to be able to go to Heaven?”

Folks, can you imagine that? Such a young age, and concerned about where she will spend eternity. Had Satan convinced her she had no hope for Heaven?

Satan has no regard for age except to trap them in his web no matter what their age is. Whether you are 8 years old, a young person in some university, or an 80 year old, Satan wants to condemn your soul to a place called hell. I lived so many years a lost church goer thinking I was okay. Satan had convinced me that everything was okay between me and God because I had been going to church all my life. It was the Holy Spirit Who revealed to me my lost condition and convicted me of my sinful deeds. I’m glad the Lord didn’t give up on me and because of it I’m born again today. Have you been born into the family of God? Has Satan played you for a fool? If you’re not sure you are headed to Heaven then ask Christ into your heart today. It will be a decision you’ll never regret.

What A Beautiful View

Good morning to all:

This morning I woke up remembering that I had not taken the trash can to the road. I get up and get dressed and make my way to get it done. As I leave the can at the road, I turn around and look up to see the moon with nearly one half of it brightly shining on the east side with the other half of it not visible. What a beautiful view it was. As I stood there and looked, I began thinking to myself… “I wonder how many would notice if the brightness of the moon was on the west side this early in the morning and think to themselves that something is wrong?” I believe that some would not even notice and continue on with their day. As Christians there are certain things that God has ordained to be in our lives and anything different should catch our eyes 👀 and cause us to examine. Galatians 5:16 This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh…

My illustration may seem a little far-fetched this morning, yet, if we look around us we’ll see a lot of things in this world that are out of place from where they should be.

My encouragement this morning is simple:

1 Peter 1:16 …. Be ye holy; for I am holy.

Just because the world has followed suit with sin and nothing seems out of place to them does not mean that we need to.

Love you till the next time.

The Stranger of Galilee

Good morning everyone,

I stand amazed at the presence of the stranger of Galilee. The reason why many things seem to be so confusing nowadays is because of the prince of the power of the air. The scriptures teach us that God is not the author of confusion for that would be Satan. The only way that this world as we know of it today can receive true peace is through the Lord Jesus. Will you ask Him to open your eyes and heart this morning for a glimpse of His presence? Unfortunately, to the majority of the world, the Lord Jesus is a stranger. Today can be the day that you meet Him, this stranger of Galilee. If you are a born again child of the King, I encourage you this morning to move aside the hustle and bustle of the world, and look to Jesus. The only real peace we have is in Jesus. God bless each of you.

The Tabernacle In The Wilderness

Today we finished the last two chapters of the book of Exodus. God had been very specific in his instructions on how to build the Tabernacle in the Wilderness. Every-thing was accomplished according to how God had instructed Moses to build it and nothing was left undone. When everything was completed, God’s presence came down at the door of the Tabernacle of the Congregation in a thick cloud and His Glory filled the place. As long as the cloud remained in place, the Children of Israel would also remain in place. As soon as the cloud lifted up from the door of the Tabernacle then the Children of Israel would move with it. I am reminded of how much this pictures you and I as Christians. Everything concerning the Tabernacle pointed to the Cross of Calvary and everything completed in the Christian is a picture of the Cross of Calvary as well.

To think of the Glory of the Lord is one thing but to think of the agony that the Lord Jesus endured on the cross is entirely something else. And once again I say that everything concerning the Tabernacle of the Congregation in the wilderness points to the time when Jesus would suffer on the cross for you and me. Every time God accepted a blood sacrifice in the Holy of Holies was a picture of how God would one day accept His own Sons blood on the mercy seat in Heaven after Jesus died on the cross. It makes me want to give Him praise even now just thinking about it.

As everyone saw the Glory of the Lord shine from the Cloud in the door of the Congregation, then even today everyone should see Gods Glory shine through you and I as we live for Christ daily. Blessed be the name of the Lord.

We love you till the next time and may God bless.

What God Put Together

This may come as a surprise to some but… It was not man who ordained marriage but it was God. He was the One who set the standard of how things should be. He established everything according to how our relationship with Christ and the Church should be and so the marriage should be mirrored. He ordained who should be the head of the family even as we submit ourselves to Him for He is head of the church. With prayers and supplication and intercessions we go to Him daily for guidance and then it is that we find all things work together for them that Love God and are called according to His purpose. Setting our own boundaries of how things are done are empty without God. We can paint every religious picture as to what we want the world to see, but God sees beneath the outside layer of oil we paint within our lives. I never knew what it meant to step up to the plate and serve God faithfully until I got saved and turned everything over to the Lord. He is our peace… He is our grace… He is our mercy when we know we don’t deserve it and He is our guide. It’s time to look unto the hills from whence comes our strength. We have nothing by which we can prove ourselves to God for anything, for we are but dust. So many times I’ve looked in the wrong places thinking to get some sort of approval from God when all along it should have been Him I was looking at but had not. If we are to rejoice in the Lord it will be because of our obedience to Him. It’s not about us… it’s about Him. God Bless.

What Would Your Excuse Be

May I speak from the heart for just a couple of minutes? From the beginning of time man has always found a way to excuse themselves from being held accountable for their own actions. Some will read this and say that they know this doesn't include them cause they and God are real tight. It is easier to look elsewhere towards someone else even when you know God is dealing with you about it all along. God knows the beginning from the end so why do we act like we can work something out without God? Sometimes I could just imagine myself listening to Adam and Eve as they spoke to the Lord in the Garden of Eden as to why they disobeyed God. As you read the scripture in Genesis, you can tell that as long as the Lord Himself was speaking, everyone listened to him. They knew that He was God Who had created them, so they reverenced His Presence and His Words. As I have said before, Adam blamed Eve, Eve blamed the Serpent, and the Serpent ended up not having a leg to stand on. God's purpose for man was interrupted because man jumped ahead of Gods purpose to please his own curiosity.

After nearly six thousand years, man is still doing the same blame game with an acception that they don't give much heed (if any) to God's presence or what God says. People have convinced themselves that they are okay with God and they won't take long at asking you to look so they can prove it to you.

As I look back over the years, (before I got saved), it was easy for me to look good to others while all along I was lost, yet, God knew my sin. I'm so thankful for the day that God showed me my lost condition. In my heart I had to get lost before God could do anything with me. Yes, I had to realize I WAS lost before I could even get saved.

My friend, where is your heart right now before a Holy God? When I stand before God one day, it won't be my brother or my sister or my momma or my daddy or any other excuse I can come up with but it will be ME. If you stand in need of a touch from the Lord Jesus today then drop the baggage that holding you back and let Him make it right. I've yet to see God fail at making something that was seemingly an ugly situation beutiful again.

God does all things well and I'm sure glad I'm saved and belong to Him. Love you till the next time and may God bless.

Insurmountable

In scripture in 2 Kings 8, We read where the enemy had surrounded the city to the point that it appeared that there was no escape for Elisha or his servant. It was early in the morning, and when the servant saw the mighty army that has surrounded

the city, he was overwhelmed, and he was frightened. In his fear, he looked at his master Elisha and said, oh no, what should we do?

The Bible records that Elisha begin to pray, and asked the Lord God to open up the eyes of his servant. Immediately the eyes of Elisha's servant was opened and he could see an "insurmountable" number of angelic warriors around the whole horizon in position and ready to protect Gods servant along with his own servant. Sometimes all it takes is for God to open our eyes that we can see what ordinarily we would not. My friends, how many times has the Lord sent help our way and we had no idea. We may have felt closed in on all sides with what appeared to be No Way Out. I know this may sound repetitious but God is never surprised by what's going on around us. Elisha had faith to call on God even in behalf of his own servant. I love what Jesus had said to Peter in that "I have prayed for you that your faith fail not." Folks, let's not throw in the towel yet cause God is still in control. We love you till the next time. God Bless

For God Still Loved The World

Jesus died for the sins of the whole world… for all of mankind… Man can make every excuse for not turning to the Savior… and they can paint life’s picture any way they want just to excuse their lifestyle… but in the end… they just love their sin more than the Savior… folks, Jesus made a way for lost sinners to leave their sin behind and follow after God… they don’t have to die in order to be dead in their sins, they are already dead.

Jesus said, come unto to me all you that labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest.

Things That Are Not In Heaven

Not too long ago my wife and I have had to spend some time with her sister at the hospital. The Doctors were having to figure out what's going on with her concerning some health concerns. This morning while I was here with her, I believe the Lord allowed me to view some things that were around me in a different light. As I began to look around the room and even the hospital itself, I begin to imagine what it would be like to leave a surrounding like this and suddenly end up in Heaven. Think about this for a moment as you first get there and for some reason you ask someone up there "where the hospital is at." With a strange look on their faces someone looks at you and says..."We don't have a place like that up here." Folks, a place with no doctors offices or hospitals, no pharmacies, no funeral homes or grave yards. All the many things we use to make life easier such as glasses or hearing aids or walking sticks!!! The list goes on and on. No jails or prisons for theirs no sin up there. Oh meeeeeee!!! I'm getting excited just thinking about it. The best part is I AM GOING!!!!

I AM NOT GOING TO HELL!!!

He died for me!!! He died for you!!! He died for the world!!! Just make sure you don't miss out on Heaven.

Love you till the next time. God bless!!

Giving Thanks

Scripture:

1Tim. 2. [1] I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men;

Blog:

How long has it been since you’ve been in a position where you’ve had to throw up those hands and remind yourself that only God can help me now? You’ve sought others in your task and they’ve done their best but now it’s up to the Lord. Then, when everything is accomplished and you’re happy now, you truly thank everyone for their part yet you forget the Lord for taking care of business.

Their are 3 words that drive home to me in this verse I used here: and those words are simply “first of all.” God has an order in which things are to be accomplished in our walk for Him and sometimes we just need to be reminded. I am thankful for those in my life that have been a positive influence along the way, but could I just take time to thank the Lord for being an ever present friend to me. He has been a friend like no other.

Thank you Lord for saving my soul,

Thank you Lord for making me whole

Thank you Lord for giving to me

Thy great salvation so rich and free.

The Greatest Commandment

Good morning everyone hope you're having a wonderful day.

In Matthew 22:35-40 there was a certain lawyer, who asked the Lord a question and all along was tempting the Lord. Master, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said him to him, that thou should love the Lord thy God, with all thy heart, with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment and the second is like unto it that you love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two Commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

I've read that during Bible times there were 613 laws that the people of Israel were to adhere to. Jesus is saying that the greatest of all these laws was to love the Lord thy God, with all thy heart, soul and mind. Jesus went on to say that the second greatest law was to love thy neighbor as thy self. First and foremost, we are to love the Lord with everything that is within us. When I think of how good God is and how he has been there through every area of my life, watching over me, leading me and teaching me along the way, then not only is it natural for me to love Him, but I want to tell him that I love Him.

Yes, it is easy to love the Lord but how about your neighbor? I wonder what that lawyer was thinking after Jesus said, you must love your neighbor as yourself.

In my own life, I know that there are certain people that I would rather not be around me for too long, yet Jesus is saying in scripture that I need to love them as myself. Folks, I've seen Jesus save the vilest of sinners from a life of despair. I've seen where people that were bound by drugs, alcohol, illicit sex, hate, demonic oppression and scores of other sins set free at the name of Jesus. As you look at your neighbor or whoever God puts in front of you at any given time, it may be easy to turn your head, and look the other way, to ignore their presence and perhaps hope the best for them and pass by them on the other side. I say again that the God we serve can save the vilest of sinners and use them for His Honor and His Glory.

As Christians, God has commanded us to love our neighbor, as we love God, and as we love ourselves. That seemingly hard to reach person beside you needs Jesus just like you did before you got saved. If God got a hold of you, then God can get a hold of that somebody else who might be standing next to you at this very moment. The God who has saved you from a life of sin, and despair can certainly change that someone that you might feel has no hope. Let us be that instrument whereby God can use to reach somebody else for Christ.

I love you my friends and until the next time May God Bless.

Looking Back When It’s Too Late

How often have we been through situations in our lives and we quickly realize what a mistake we made. As long as we are on this side of eternity it is for sure we will make mistakes. Some mistakes can be (as they say) swept under the rug while others can possibly stick with us for a lifetime. Of all the mistakes I could possibly put in my mind to remember, only one will make a difference when it comes to eternity. Let me be specific when I ask, what is your relationship with God?

Once again I say that while we are on this side of eternity, life has many escape routes we can take to avoid problems that may arise from our mistakes we have made beforehand. That of course is nothing less than hiding your sin. Folks, when we stand before God one day, there will be no way out of the decision you or I made in our acceptance of Christ as Lord of our lives or not. It is a decision that is as important now as it will be at judgment. As I said before, many decisions have I made in life and thought for a period that everything in time sill work itself out. Btw, that is a lie from the Devil himself. Satan wanted me to feel ok with what was going on in my life while all along I was headed down a dark smokey road to Hell. I’m glad the Lord convicted of my sins and allowed me to accept Him as Lord of my life before it was too late. How about you, have you turned your life completely over to the Lordship of Christ? What situation are you in life? Don’t you realize Christ can give you that peace you’ve been longing for all this time? Today is the day to make sure you know Christ as Savior of your life. Now is the acceptable time for salvation (2 Cor 6:2) Hope you are having a good day. We love you my friends and May God Bless

Convictions

I was recently reminded of the story in scripture about Abraham and Lot. Abraham had given to Lot the choice of where he wanted his family and all his substance to live. If Lot chose to go to the left then Abraham would go to the right, but if Lot decided to go to the right then Abraham would go to the left. The choice was entirely up to Lot. We know that Lot chose the fertile land near Sodom which left Abraham to go to the upper mountain area where most people would not choose. In time the hearts of the people of Sodom became so wicked that God said He would destroy the city. God knew all along what would eventually happen to Sodom as well the nearby city of Gomorra. For the time came when God destroyed both of those cities because of their sin.
Yes, I say that God knew all along how things would turn out with Abraham as well as Lot. Who do you believe made the right decision in the first place? It was the one whose decision did not end up in in a total mess. Abraham knew God would take care of him no matter what as long as he kept his eyes on The God of Heaven. I don’t see where Lot had that “conviction“ in himself to go where God would be pleased. Folks, where are our convictions these days. Are we concerned about ourselves or are we concerned about what God see in us? The choice is ours alone and the end result God knows already. The road may not be easy but I say “Let’s go God’s way. May the Lord Bless you real good.

Let This Cup Pass From Me

How many times have you been through a trial in your life that you asked God to completely remove it? Rather than go through it you plainly asked God to totally remove it so you wouldn’t have to deal with it? “OH GOD PLEASE TAKE THIS AWAY FROM ME!“ The storms of life truly get rough and we know God can remove them so why not? I am reminded of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane just before He went to the cross, He prayed to the Father these words: “Father if their be any other way let this cup pass from me, nevertheless not my will but thine be done.“ Jesus wanted His Disciples to pray but He found them sleeping. Jesus knew that the Spirit is strong but oh how weak the flesh is. Christ had come for that hour and no matter what was to come He wanted to please the Father in Heaven. How about you and me? God has us going through this storm for a reason and being removed from it may not teach us what God wants us to learn. God has a purpose in what He does in our lives and we can trust Him. Have you put your trust in Jesus today? He is waiting on your response to Him.