Sunday, 03 February 2008

• Sometimes a diamond, sometime a stone.

  I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas.  As for my family and me we enjoyed the celebration of the great birth of our savior Jesus Christ but our hearts are sad.  First my wife's uncle passed away right after Christmas, I got pneumonia, the on Jan. 5, 2008 my wife's precious father passed away.  They were both Christians but oh how we are going to miss them!  My wife's father was more than just a father-in-law to me.  He was a wonderful friend and a great grandfather to my children when they were growing up.  My oldest son is 32 and his wife is going to have twins and it is so sad that he will not get to see them in this life. 

  1 Thes. 4:13-18

  But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. ^{14For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. 15For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. 16For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: 17Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. 18Wherefore comfort one another with these words.}

  In this scripture Paul the apostle writes to the church that we do not have to sorrow as others who have no hope but we have hope know that:  2 Cor. 5:8

  We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.

  That tells us that if we are a christian when we die our soul and spirit goes to be with the Lord.  Verse 14 of 1 Thess. says that those whose's body is dead or as the King James says asleep God will give them to Jesus to bring back with him to get the living christians, not those in word only professing to be a christian but those who are really born again or as the Greek trans. says born from above will be caught up in the air but the dead in Christ will rise first.  It says to comfort one another with these words.  If you get read this blog, please pray for my mother-in-law and my wife.  They know my father-in-law is with the Lord but christian or not when you lose a loved one your heart breaks but God gives us grace and love and we that are christians should help the broken hearted and pray for them. 

  I have been a christian and minister for over 35 years and over this time I have seen a great falling away of love in the church.  When I say church I don't mean a certain denomination.  I mean the blood bought, redeemed by the blood, truly repented, God fearing, loving their fellow man and following the  words of Jesus the best they know how kind!!!!!!!!!!! 

  James 1:23-25

  For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: ^{24For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. 25But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.}

  James 1:27

  Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.

  Here we read what James says about being a doer not just a hearer of the word of God!  Also it tells us what real religion is.  It is not what most people believe.  He tells us to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction:  which means-problems, trials, or anything that brings a bad time, loss of monetary funds, death in the family or just plain feeling down.  Christian friend we have got to get back to loving our neighbor as our self.  In our neighborhoods a person can die and the whole neighborhood will not know it and what is worse is a lot of people who go to church with you don't even know it or some don't even care.  But thank God for those precious few that pray for us, come to see us and pray for us, love us when we are unlovable or going through a hard time but most of all for Jesus, God's dear  son who loves us with so much love that in John 3:16 we read that God was will to send His only begotten son to this sin ridden world to die on an old rugged cross, to be beat so bad he could not be recognized, and after 3 days and nights in the tomb He rose again in victory to give eternal life to all those who will repent and believe on Jesus Christ to be their Lord and Savior and to follow Him and His word: 

  John 3:1-21

  There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: ^{2The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him. 3Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. 4Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born? 5Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. 6That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. 8The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit. 9Nicodemus answered and said unto him, How can these things be? 10Jesus answered and said unto him, Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things? 11Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak that we do know, and testify that we have seen; and ye receive not our witness. 12If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things? 13And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven.}

  14And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: 15That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.

  16For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 17For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

  18He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 19And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 20For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. 21But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.

  My prayer for anyone that reads this blog is that you will get to know Jesus Christ.  He is real!  In the late 60's and early 70's I was a drug addict, alcoholic, agnostic and by Oct. of 1972 I was ready to take my own life.  But thanks be to God and Jesus Christ through His Holy Spirit at 7:45 on Oct. 21, 1972, Jesus Christ came to my rescue, set me free from drugs, alcohol and is still making me free from the things of this world that keep us from getting closer to God.  When we say we are saved or a christian we don't mean we are perfect but that God has saved us by His grace not by our works or what we have done but what Christ done on the cross: 

  Romans 3:24

  Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:

  Romans 4:16

  Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all,

  Romans 6:14-15

  For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace. ^{15What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid.}

  Romans 11:5-6

  Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace. 6And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work.

  Galatians 2:21

  I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.

  Galatians 5:4

  Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace.

  Ephes. 1:6-7

  To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved. 7In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;

  Ephes. 2:5

  Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)

  Ephes. 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

  Paul the apostle to the gentile church wrote these scriptures to let them know that Christ fulfilled the law of the old testament and that Christ had given us a new covenant and that we are first saved by the grace of God through Jesus Christ.  Our works come after salvation but they won't save you unless you repent and follow Christ.  Our first love is God and His son Jesus Christ then the next love is our fellow man.  Matthew 5:43-44

  Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. ^{44But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;}

  Matthew 5:46

  For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same?

  Matthew 19:19 Honour thy father and thy mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

  Matthew 22:37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.

  Matthew 22:39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

  There are many many more scriptures about loving God, Jesus and our fellow man.  So we should examine ourselves to see if we are being taking in by the prosperity gospel or the gospel of Christ which is love.  Remember, the love of money is the root of all evil.  Not that money is evil but lusting on it above loving God or your neighbor.

  May God bless each and everyone of you and if you are struggling with problems just remember we all have to carry a cross and if you are going to serve Christ you will suffer persecution and you are in a battle with satan.  Good news!  We win!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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