WORLDWIDE INTERNET EVANGELISM

Mark 16:15 Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.

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FROM UNSAVED TO CHILDREN OF GOD

Matthew 19:14 But Jesus said, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of heaven.”

Jesus described what the very character of a Christian should be. Like a little child! Energetic, happy, innocent children!  After all a Christian is a child of God.

 I have never subscribed to a belief that many Christians maintain about children saying that they are born in sin with a carnal nature. Why do they not believe Jesus? Why does Jesus make such a big point about this subject? Is because He knows how adult carnal nature thinks (Hey! God created me this way)!

But Jesus teaches just the opposite about little children. What does He say in the scriptures about this subject?

Matthew 18: 2-5 Then, Jesus called a little child to Him, set him in the midst of them, and said, “Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Whoever receives one little child like this in My name receives Me.

“Open our eyes Lord” as the words to a certain song are most appropriate at this time. Be like a little child without bias, prejudice, and color blind. Little children always seem to enjoy the company of other children no matter who they are.

Christians desire to go to heaven but there are many people who are not saved who think they may go to heaven also because they believe themselves to be good people and there are people in this world who are downright mean and don’t have clue to what they could have from a God who loves them. Through one righteous act of Jesus the free gift came to all men cleansing them from all sin past present and future then died in their place so all me could live. The question was asked of the Apostles what men could do to be save? The answer was, “Repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ and you would receive the gift of the Holy Spirit”. God is waiting for the unsaved to give them a new robe to wear, a new body, a new name, a new home, a great reward, and a new job as they live in glory in the presence of God for eternity.

We need to be like the little children, humbling ourselves and expressing joy and kindness without bias or prejudice to those who are unsaved and as color blind as little children. By expression show the love of Jesus to every unsaved person you meet, in doing so you plant a seed for God to nurture into a productive righteous child of God.

Pray that all people will be saved to the glory of God!


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DON’T BE A POLITICAL GRUMBLER !

political-protest

Here are the words of God that puts us back into perspective in the midst of all the talk on both sides concerning the candidates for the presidency of the United States of America. Please take note! This involves both non religious people and those who have religious beliefs.

Does this describe you?

Jude 1:16 These are grumblers, finding fault, following after their own lusts; they speak arrogantly, flattering people for the sake of gaining an advantage.

Politics can be used for good or bad as is often displayed by people all over this nation, but because we are blessed to live in such a free society, we can express ourselves any way we please. That is not always a good thing! The whole population of the nation who votes for their choice for president is made up of individuals who speak for themselves. What and how we speak reveals our character, personality, and qualities. This brings to the for-front the real bearing of our purpose by the verbal communication  that spews from our mouths .

James 3: 6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity. The tongue is so set among our members that it defiles the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire by hell.

I implore you to restrain from the common “political correctness” and let the goodness in your heart prevail instead of scorning the opposing candidate and whoever votes for them.

Colossians 3:8 But now you also, put them all aside: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusive speech from your mouth.

 Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but let the spirit of love, joy, peace, kindness, goodness, and self control be your beacon to this nation and the free republic in which we live under God.

THE WORLD IS WATCHING!

 

 

 

 

 

 


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THE SECOND FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT IS JOY

 

The joy of thr Lord

On June 4, 2016 I wrote about the first fruit of the Spirit which was love. Now I write about the second fruit of the Spirit which is joy.

The fruits of the Spirit are very important to God and He wants us to know what they are for a reason. They are expressly about the Spirit, the character of the Spirit and we should imitate Him, have His character. The ways of the Spirit are Holy to God and He expects us to reverence the Holiness of the Spirit.  Jesus severely chastised the Pharisees about being disrespectful of the holiness of the Spirit in Mark 3:29 “but he who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is subject to eternal condemnation”

Believers are temples of the Holy Spirit for the Spirit dwells in them. The fruits of the Spirit should be our nature as we follow the Spirit of Christ in us. Romans 8:11 But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.

What more joyful thing could you want than that? Jesus says in John 17:13 “But now I come to You, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have My joy fulfilled in themselves.”

Later after the church had grown in the Spirit and increased in numbers we find in Acts 13:52 And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.

The Apostle Paul gives us more insight to how joy is an important aspect of our lives when he says in Romans 14:17 for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.

Paul tells us what our joy should be like in Philippians 2:2 fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.

Then Paul sums up the spiritual meaning of our joy as being like a crown in the hope of glory. 1 Thessalonians 2:19 For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Is it not even you in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at His coming? 20 For you are our glory and joy.

The fruit of the Spirit is Gods holiness in believers and should be on display and shared with everyone.

 


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WHO AM I?

 

Who am I? Really, who am I? I was born in iniquity and conceived in sin!  (Psalms 51:5 Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, And in sin my mother conceived me.) When I grew up and experienced the world I was saturated with its unholy, immoral, and materialistic system. Believing this to be the norm I immersed myself in its carnal ways.  (Romans 8:7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be.) Mistakenly I thought the ultimate joy was having all the immoral and carnal things of this world. (2 Timothy 3:2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy) After some time I found myself miserable and unhappy, unable to attain the freedom to do as I wanted in the world. I looked at my beautiful wife and wondered why I treated her the way I did. I looked at my baby son and wondered what kind of life waited for him. I suddenly felt like the lowest of the lowest of men.  I was sick of everything I knew. Something inside me caused me to do something I had never done before. I grabbed my wife’s hand and knelt beside our bed and said: “God, there has got to be something better than this. Please show us what it is.” My heart was hurting! (1 Corinthians 1:9 God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord.)

After a short time my wife and I became associated with a church and God took complete charge of our lives from that time to the present. We went through a transitional period from an old way to a new way and looked down upon by some who knew us. (1 Peter 4:4 Wherein they think it strange that ye run not with them to the same excess of riot, speaking evil of you) But now we have a loving family of Godly friends in great abundance. (Ephesians 2:5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) 7 That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God)

Someone might read this and decide to find out for themselves how to be released from the world as we have and be filled with a joy immeasurable by letting Jesus take the weight of the world’s sin off of their shoulders and putting it all on His shoulders. (John 1:29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!) Just follow the message in the Apostle Peter’s first sermon: (Acts 2: 38 Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.) By the grace of God you will be raised up a new creation and walk in newness of life, no longer of this world, but your citizenship will be in heaven from that time forward with a residence in heaven waiting for you to occupy.

Who am I? Who are you? We are all the children of God!

Praise the Lord God and give Him all the glory! Amen!


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GOD LOVES ME

I love the way God is expressed to me by praise and worship music. His character is often the focal point of praise songs and is magnified to display His Holiness.  But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control—- Galations 5:22-23. 

Holy God I am glad that You are the kind of God You are, a God of love. Amen!


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A LOVING GOD

God-love-1john410

The scripture in John 3:16 describes God as loving the whole world. God doesn’t look upon the outside skin of a person or how well they speak to define if that person is worthy of His love. It doesn’t matter if it is the famous Joseph Merrick, a severely deformed man in 19th century London or Marilyn Monroe.

1 Samuel 16: But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him. For the LORD does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.”

God looks deep inside to see the real character and who the person really is.

He knows our every sin, but when we truly repent of those sins, He will not remember them any more.

 

Jeremiah 31: 34 No more shall every man teach his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD,’ for they all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them, says the LORD. For I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.”

God loves us so much that He is willing to forgive our sins no matter how bad they are. And He will forget they ever happened. Not only that, but God sent His only Son to this world to shed His blood and die in our place to guarantee that we would be free of our  sins and receive the free gift of eternal life.

Romans 5: 8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

God loves all people! We are all sinners and fall short of the glory of God. But God has a master plan for us, God is love and He has made it possible for anyone to share His love and glory forever in His kingdom. God will share His throne with us in His kingdom! That is a lot of love!

Father, give your children the strength and the faith to help bring more people into Your kingdom. In Jesus name, amen.

The elephant man

Elephant Man

Marilyn Monroe
Marilyn Monroe

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RUMINATING ABOUT OBEDIENCE, BAPTISM, THE HOLY SPIRIT

Feed the hungry

Wouldn’t it be neat if God had the Bible written the same way people write blogs or forums? Most every web page that you find on the internet has a facts section. The most asked questions have a ready made answer. God does answer many questions in the Bible but we have to read and study the scripture to find the answers. Doesn’t the Bible give us instruction concerning this? 2 Timothy 2:15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

God has a purpose for everything!

I have been concerned lately about a certain trend among younger generation churches and their rethinking church philosophy. After having read these rethinking churches on their websites, it appears that they have become the world’s church critics. They talk about what is wrong with all other churches etc.  Now I have to say this that there are some Christians that need to really believe what the Bible teaches. 1 Corinthians 1:10 Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.

It really disturbs me to see so much criticism and church division!

Here are some interesting observations I read about the difference between Old Testament and New Testament baptisms.

The Bible makes reference to the nation of Israel being baptized as she came out of Egypt, a symbol of sin, and passing through the Red Sea. Just after having passed through the Red Sea, they received the Law of Moses. They did not have the Holy Spirit.

THE LAW GIVEN UNDER THE OLD COVENANT BY BAPTISM

1 Corinthians 10: 1 Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; 2 And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea; 5 But with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness. 11 Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.

Malachi 4:4 Remember ye the law of Moses my servant, which I commanded unto him in Horeb for all Israel, with the statutes and judgments.

Deuteronomy 4:10 Specially the day that thou stoodest before the LORD thy God in Horeb, when the LORD said unto me, Gather me the people together, and I will make them hear my words, that they may learn to fear me all the days that they shall live upon the earth, and that they may teach their children.

You can read over and over in the Old Testament how Israel and Judah disobeyed God. In the book of Judges God sent His people into captivity as punishment time and time again. Take note that no where in the Bible will you ever find where Israel observed the 50th year of Jubilee. They couldn’t obey God that long. So you see that their baptism into the Law was never in tended for salvation and eternal life.

THE SPIRIT GIVEN UNDER THE NEW CONENANT

Mark 1:8 I indeed have baptized you with water: but he shall baptize you with the Holy Spirit.

Jesus promised that He would send us the Holy Spirit when He ascended into heaven. John 14:16, 26 and John 16:7

On the Day of Pentecost Jesus kept His promise and sent the Holy Spirit to dwell in man

Acts 1: 15 And in those days Peter stood up in the midst of the disciples, and said, (the number of names together were about an hundred and twenty,)

Acts 2: 1 And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. 2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. 3 And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. 4           And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

Christians today make up the body of Christ, (1 Corinthians 12:27) are temples of the Holy Spirit. (1 Corinthians 6:19)

1 Corinthians 12:13 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.

Under the New Covenant the Bible clearly states that when we are saved we receive the Holy Spirit.

Ephesians 1:13 In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,

It is a simple thing to pray a prayer to God and ask Him to forgive all your sins but it is very hard to do. It requires a person to ask God to change their life from the ways of this world to His ways and that is a decision some hate to make. But when one makes the right decision then they will receive treasures they didn’t even know existed. That is another story!

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THE MOST FAMOUS MAN WHO EVER LIVED

Mathew 26: 50-53 But Jesus said to him, “Friend, why have you come?” Then they came and laid hands on Jesus and took Him. And suddenly, one of those who were with Jesus stretched out his hand and drew his sword, struck the servant of the high priest, and cut off his ear. But Jesus said to him, “Put your sword in its place, for all who take the sword will perish by the sword. Or do you think that I cannot now pray to My Father, and He will provide Me with more than twelve legions of angels?

There are a whole lot of people in this world who don’t know who Jesus Christ is or anything about Him. On CNN news, concerning Easter, an article appeared that said, quote: “Jesus Christ is the most famous man who ever lived and there is little that is known about Him.” What a perfect example of people who have never taken the time to learn about the most famous person in the world.
God created the heavens and the earth. This includes the universe and the beautiful planet earth that we dwell upon. That covers a lot right there! He created the heaven in which He resides also. All this He created for one great purpose. He created it all for man.
( John 1:1In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 The same was in the beginning with God.3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. 11 He came unto his own, and his own received him not. 12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: 13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. 14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.)
Jesus was the Creator of all things in the beginning. He also created man in His own image. (Genesis 1:27) Man was the center piece of His creation. Man was the reason for it all. Jesus wanted man to eventually receive Him into his life and live eternally with Him in glory and Jesus will share His throne with man. (Revelation 3:21 To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.)
How unselfish and great is that? Why would anyone not want that? Could it be that they just don’t know about Jesus Christ as CNN news reported. There are Christian Churches all over the world. They have services every Sunday. All people are welcome to attend at any time. You can learn all about Jesus. There is no reason not to. Be prepared to live in a world where there are no wars, crime, drug use, hunger, or diseases. There will be no limit to what you can see, smell, feel, and hear. There will be no night. There will be no need for gravity. There will only be joy, peace, and happiness.
This is a very short description of Jesus Christ. But if you really want the whole picture, find a private place and get on your knees say to Jesus, “Show me! I want to know more about the most famous man who ever lived.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

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