Today's Prayer

Dear Heavenly Father, my God and Creator, my source of strength and provision, lover of man’s soul…I come to you today to pray on behalf of my country, my home, and the people who make up this nation. Oh how we need your help! Please have mercy upon us. I’m sorry for my failures and ashamed of the sins of this nation. May all that is good and every person who is called by your name bow before you in repentance and rise up to follow you as shining lights and examples of your love. May we live godly lives and be pleasing to you. May we look to you for our answers, for our help, for guidance. May we lift up the name of Jesus and proclaim his saving grace. I pray for our nation’s leaders, that they will seek your face and make their decisions based on biblical values and that you will protect them in their daily lives and often overwhelming duties. I pray for our Christian leaders, that they will receive wisdom and anointing for the day as you give them power and protection from harm and evil. I pray for families, that they would pull together and support one another—with Christ at the center. I pray for individuals, that we each will take responsibility for our thoughts and actions, that we may allow you to minister to others through us and do great and mighty things according to your will. “Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken” (Ecclesiastes 4:12). May we stand together as your children. In the name of Jesus I pray. Amen.

Second Step to Holiness


In the first step I saw that repentance, brought about by the work of the Holy Spirit, made me aware of the magnitude, wickedness and folly of my ways. Then I gladly turned to Christ for forgiveness and He graciously responded with love and irrevocable forgiveness. This is redemption, for He paid the price of my sin by shedding His blood on the cross for me. I am then saved. Hallelujah!


The second step is the submission of my will to God’s will. Paul talks about this in Romans 7

: 16 If, then, I do what I will not to do, I agree with the law that it is good. 17 But now, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me. 18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find. 19 For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice. 20 Now if I do what I will not to do, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me.
21 I find then a law, that evil is present with me, the one who wills to do good. 22 For I delight in the law of God according to the inward man. 23 But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin, which is in my members.

Paul realizes something is wrong, he cannot do what he knows he ought to do and he does what he knows he shouldn’t do, and he cries our as many of us have:24 O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?

His own will is dominant so he does what he wants instead of what he knows he should do. But he knows who has the answer: I thank God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!

Romans 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus,[a] who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. 3 For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, 4 that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. 5 For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. 6 For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. 7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. 8 So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God.

So if our will is not surrendered to the will of God we are walking in the flesh and not in the Spirit!

Jesus not only died on the cross to forgive our sins, but, sent the Holy Spirit as my counselor and guide with power to tame my will and let me submit (surrender) to the will of God.


We see this also in chapter 6: 11 Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts. 13 And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. 14 For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace. 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

We know Sin is death to the sinner, but here he is talking about the Christian who still sins because he has not surrendered his will to God’s will. But we can be made free in Christ. Romans 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus,[a] who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.

Hallelujah!

Don’t be deceived, there are those who think this verse means God won’t condemn us if we do sin. They don’t read the rest of the verse. It says “who do not walk according to the flesh!

We Were Bought With a Price !

We were bought with a price, the precious blood of Jesus; therefore I will glorify God in my body and spirit, which are God's.
I will not use any part of me to do my own will but allow God to have his will in all my life.
I not let Satan or sin to possess, barrow or pollute my body, mind or heart, for I am God's.
Jesus is mine; the Holy Spirit is in control of every thought, act and relationship.
God is love. I Know God, He knows me; therefore agape love will be my aim and attitude.
Christ accepted me, and I accepted Him. I'll not allow any division or separation from Him.
This is my commitment to Him, for he gave his life for me, and His Spirit to me. Amen.

Only One Life

Only one life
T’ will soon be past.
Only what’s done
For Christ will last!

Walk in the Spirit,
Carry the Sword.
Do something for Jesus
Your best for the Lord.

Satan may taunt you.
The world doesn’t care.
Find someone who’s needy.
His burden to share.

If you are faithful,
Steadfast and true,
He has a place,
In Heaven for you.

Take care of your body.
Gird up your mind.
Be a good servant,
And blessing you’ll find.

Sin is:

1. Sin is Bondage
It becomes habitual, and a hard to break habit.
2. It is separation from God
God loves us but sin destroys us.
3. We are spiritually dead if we are in sin.
We must die to sin.
4. The wrath of God is on all sinners.
God hates the sin but loves the sinner.
5. The second death is spiritual death and hell.
It is the final result of sin.
6 God is just.
He must punish all unrepented sin.
You cannot sin and love God.

Truth: God gave His Son to redeem us from sin, and to forgive our sin, to save us from the bondage and tragedy of sin. He sent his Holy Spirit to us so that we can live free from sin. He loves us so much that He will not let us get by with sinning.

Our choice is: Jesus or hell.

In the Begining, God!

In The Beginning, God

An atheist said recently: "All the Bible does is raise unanswerable questions".
Do you suppose he is starting with the wrong first assumption?

All truth flows from our first assumption and postulation, "God is".
The book we have called the Bible or God's Word begins that way.
The first words John wrote in his gospel: "In the beginning was the word and the word was God and the word was with God.", shows that he was in line with Moses whom we suppose wrote the first book. The writer to the Hebrews says in his treatise:
'We must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek him'
The Psalmist wrote:" The fool has said in his heart there is no God".

We know that our finite minds cannot possibly answer all the questions life throws at us. But when the basis of our quest is belief and trust in an infinite, almighty and all knowing God, there are no unanswerable questions. We do not know all the answers, but God does, and because He is also a loving and caring God He gives us all the answers we need to know in his Word. John 14:6
Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
2 Peter 1:3
According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue.

Reasonable!

Reasonable

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. Rom 12:1

1. Beseech. This is the strongest plea Paul could make. He used this word in matters of life and death. Obviously he feels that this is one of the most important things anyone could do. It is the only thing that will make him the servant Jesus wants him to be.
2. Therefore. This word refers to what was said before Look at Chap.11 Verse 18 Speaking of the Jews who did not believe in Christ: 18 do not boast against the branches. But if you do boast, remember that you do not support the root, but the root supports you. 19 You will say then, “Branches were broken off that I might be grafted in.” 20 Well said. Because of unbelief they were broken off, and you stand by faith. Do not be haughty, but fear. 21 For if God did not spare the natural branches, He may not spare you either. 22 Therefore consider the goodness and severity of God: on those who fell, severity; but toward you, goodness, if you continue in His goodness. Otherwise you also will be cut off.
3. Mercies. Consider that God provided for our salvation even though we were unworthy sinners, and that it was the free gift of His Son on the cross that won our hearts.
4. Bodies. 18 knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot. 1Pet. 1. We are not our own but are bought with a price.
5. Living. Christ saved us from death and gave us eternal life to use for his glory.
6. Sacrifice? Can we really call it a sacrifice when it puts us in line for such favor from God, all the riches and resources of heaven are ours!
7. Holy. Who wouldn’t want to be holy if they thought it possible?
8. Acceptable to God. This is something we cannot do without!

It is so reasonable!