...that servants of sin are free from righteousness. True, but his bondage to sin only leads him deeper into slavery so that it becomes harder and harder to do what is right. The Prodigal Son is an example of this.
When he was at home, he decided he wanted his freedom, so he left home to find himself and enjoy himself. But his rebellion only led him deeper into slavery. He was the slave of wrong desires, then the slave of wrong deeds; and finally he became a literal slave when he took care of the pigs.
He wanted to find himself, but he lost himself. What he thought was freedom turned out to be the worst kind of slavery. It was only when he returned home and yielded to his father that he found true freedom.
Romans 6:16 Know ye not that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?
Whatever you yield to becomes your master. Before you were saved, you were the slave of sin. Now that you belong to Christ, you are freed from that old slavery and made the servant of Christ.
Friday, July 13, 2012
Thursday, July 12, 2012
Without God, you may deny that you are a sinner,
...but you're wrong -- 1 John 1:8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.
Sin has consequences. -- Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Sin comes short of God's standards. God is holy, righteous, good, and true; and we don't measure up. -- Romans 3:23 For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.
But God devised a plan of salvation by grace through faith in Jesus. Separated from God, man can't get there on his own. Through the death of Jesus and His abundant mercy, there is provision for sin when he humbly accepts Jesus as His Savior.
The sinner is now a new creature, born again in Christ Jesus. He is saved from the wrath of God's final judgment. His sins are removed as far as the east is from the west. Jesus makes a sinners heart as white as snow. Salvation is God's love for man.
It's hard chosing the right path sometimes, and society doesn't want to hear about God.
But Jesus still saves the lost, and Christians should pray that the Holy Spirit will draw them to Him.
Sin has consequences. -- Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Sin comes short of God's standards. God is holy, righteous, good, and true; and we don't measure up. -- Romans 3:23 For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.
But God devised a plan of salvation by grace through faith in Jesus. Separated from God, man can't get there on his own. Through the death of Jesus and His abundant mercy, there is provision for sin when he humbly accepts Jesus as His Savior.
The sinner is now a new creature, born again in Christ Jesus. He is saved from the wrath of God's final judgment. His sins are removed as far as the east is from the west. Jesus makes a sinners heart as white as snow. Salvation is God's love for man.
It's hard chosing the right path sometimes, and society doesn't want to hear about God.
But Jesus still saves the lost, and Christians should pray that the Holy Spirit will draw them to Him.
Some things we can't do without,
...such as water, food or air. Humans are miserable without love. Without the shedding of blood there is no remission for sin, and we can't go to heaven.
In the Old Testament the priest offered a sacrifice for the atonement, killing a lamb and applying it's blood to the altar to cover sins.
In the New Testament we have the Lamb of God, slain on the cross, taking away the sins of the world, once for all.
Hebrews 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please Him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him.
Without faith we can't please God, we can't be saved. Without faith we have no security in eternity. With faith in Jesus we can be certain. With faith we can be sanctified daily unto Him by prayer and Bible study. With sanctification we can go before a Holy God and say, "Please show me where I have failed you." Christians should do this daily.
Is God pleased with you? Have you by faith accepted Him as your Savior?
Without Him I could do nothing.
In the Old Testament the priest offered a sacrifice for the atonement, killing a lamb and applying it's blood to the altar to cover sins.
In the New Testament we have the Lamb of God, slain on the cross, taking away the sins of the world, once for all.
Hebrews 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please Him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him.
Without faith we can't please God, we can't be saved. Without faith we have no security in eternity. With faith in Jesus we can be certain. With faith we can be sanctified daily unto Him by prayer and Bible study. With sanctification we can go before a Holy God and say, "Please show me where I have failed you." Christians should do this daily.
Is God pleased with you? Have you by faith accepted Him as your Savior?
Without Him I could do nothing.
The Apostles seem to be arguing
...about something.
"What was it that you disputed among yourselves on the way?" Jesus asked.
They didn't have the guts to say it was about who would be the greatest, but Jesus knew. Peter, James, and John had just watched Christ talk on the mountain with two men who had been dead a long time. The Apostles had just seen Him cast demons out of a boy. Jesus told them twice about his death, burial, and resurrection, but they didn't understand. They only wanted to discuss who would be the greatest.
Be careful about judging these guys. We're just like them. We want credit when credit is due. We toot our own horn.
Mark 9:35 And He sat down and called the twelve and saith unto them, "If any man desire to be first, the same shall be last of all, and servant of all."
Everybody should strive to be their best for Jesus and not compete with each other.
Who is the greatest in our church? Its the humble person serving without expecting anything in return. Its the one willing to take last place. Lord, give us that mindset.
"What was it that you disputed among yourselves on the way?" Jesus asked.
They didn't have the guts to say it was about who would be the greatest, but Jesus knew. Peter, James, and John had just watched Christ talk on the mountain with two men who had been dead a long time. The Apostles had just seen Him cast demons out of a boy. Jesus told them twice about his death, burial, and resurrection, but they didn't understand. They only wanted to discuss who would be the greatest.
Be careful about judging these guys. We're just like them. We want credit when credit is due. We toot our own horn.
Mark 9:35 And He sat down and called the twelve and saith unto them, "If any man desire to be first, the same shall be last of all, and servant of all."
Everybody should strive to be their best for Jesus and not compete with each other.
Who is the greatest in our church? Its the humble person serving without expecting anything in return. Its the one willing to take last place. Lord, give us that mindset.
Wednesday, July 11, 2012
How could Abraham be the father
... of many nations when Sarah couldn't have children? It was faith in God's promise, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.
Romans 4:18 Who against hope believed in hope that he might become the father of many nations; according to that which was spoken, so shall thy seed be.
Hope against hope is faith. Its saying, "Lord, I don't know how this is going to come out, but I know you can fix it." Looking back, listing a few of many answered prayers gives hope for the future.
Facing a 15 percent survival rate for my type of cancer, the fast-moving metastatic cells died -- not me. ANSWERED
Feeling led to move to Texas, God sold our house and it wasn't even on the market. He found us another one and the timing was perfect. ANSWERED
At 21, fear of becoming an old maid, I asked God for a Christian husband when none were around. ANSWERED
Hopelessly driving on I-40 in a blizzard, I could barely see the highway as eighteen-wheelers whized by. That loud frantic prayer was ANSWERED and God sent an angel from Minnesota to scrape the ice off my windshield when I exited.
Five years out of church, feebly looking up, I prayed, "I don't know how to get back." ANSWERED
Lord, forgive me. ANSWERED
Romans 4:18 Who against hope believed in hope that he might become the father of many nations; according to that which was spoken, so shall thy seed be.
Hope against hope is faith. Its saying, "Lord, I don't know how this is going to come out, but I know you can fix it." Looking back, listing a few of many answered prayers gives hope for the future.
Facing a 15 percent survival rate for my type of cancer, the fast-moving metastatic cells died -- not me. ANSWERED
Feeling led to move to Texas, God sold our house and it wasn't even on the market. He found us another one and the timing was perfect. ANSWERED
At 21, fear of becoming an old maid, I asked God for a Christian husband when none were around. ANSWERED
Hopelessly driving on I-40 in a blizzard, I could barely see the highway as eighteen-wheelers whized by. That loud frantic prayer was ANSWERED and God sent an angel from Minnesota to scrape the ice off my windshield when I exited.
Five years out of church, feebly looking up, I prayed, "I don't know how to get back." ANSWERED
Lord, forgive me. ANSWERED
Monday, July 9, 2012
July 5 -- During a church confrontation,,
...Ms. Ina Garrett, 64, took her Bible and threw it at preacher Taylor, hitting him in the face. Taylor then took a swing at Garrett, but did not make contact. Garrett was transported by a sheriff's deputy to the county jail, where she was charged with assault on preacher Taylor. In a TV interview, Garrett explained. "He's got the demon in him."
Know for sure that this makes God sad. He is also sad when murmuring, disputes, hate, and gossip mar church fellowships.
Lack of Spiritual fruit -- love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance has been the culprit of church splits. Some churches are overdue for revival repair.
Philippians 2:2,3;14 Fulfill ye my joy that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. Let nothing be done through strife or vain glory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. ...Do all things without murmuring and disputing;
Know for sure that this makes God sad. He is also sad when murmuring, disputes, hate, and gossip mar church fellowships.
Lack of Spiritual fruit -- love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance has been the culprit of church splits. Some churches are overdue for revival repair.
Philippians 2:2,3;14 Fulfill ye my joy that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. Let nothing be done through strife or vain glory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. ...Do all things without murmuring and disputing;
After rescuing the Israelites
...from Egyptian bondage, God wanted a special place for them to worship Him as they wandered through the wilderness. A holy sanctified sanctuary would be built with voluntary talent and offerings of gold, silver, brass, blue, purple, scarlet, fine linen, goat's hair, ram's skins dyed red, badger's skins, shittim wood, oil, and beautiful stones. God asked them to give with willing hearts.
A co-worker once asked me if my church made me give ten percent of my money. I told her my church doesn't make me pay anything. I pay because I love God. Its a part of obedience and worship.
Every year the high priest went into the Holies of Holies and placed burnt offerings on the mercy seat to cover their sins. God met him there. It was a picture of Christ dying on Calvary's cross for sinners, but His sacrifice was one time for all.
God wants to meet with us in the sanctuary. He wants to bless us and work in our lives every time we meet. He didn't abolish temple worship. He fulfilled it on the cross. We can worship Him anywhere, but He asked us not to forsake the assembling of ourselves together.
Psalm 77:13 Thy way, O God, is in the sanctuary: who is so great a God as our God?
A co-worker once asked me if my church made me give ten percent of my money. I told her my church doesn't make me pay anything. I pay because I love God. Its a part of obedience and worship.
Every year the high priest went into the Holies of Holies and placed burnt offerings on the mercy seat to cover their sins. God met him there. It was a picture of Christ dying on Calvary's cross for sinners, but His sacrifice was one time for all.
God wants to meet with us in the sanctuary. He wants to bless us and work in our lives every time we meet. He didn't abolish temple worship. He fulfilled it on the cross. We can worship Him anywhere, but He asked us not to forsake the assembling of ourselves together.
Psalm 77:13 Thy way, O God, is in the sanctuary: who is so great a God as our God?
My daughter scolded me for saying
...the death march begins when I turn seventy next month. This weekend Gale and I met with Jerry Derfelt of Derfelt Funeral Home, Galena, Kansas, to pre-arrange our funerals.
I handed him a CD. "I know you usually don't have six songs at funerals, but these are my testimony and I want them played."
He smiled. "No, we usually don't, but I know music is important to you. We'll play them." We went to church with Jerry and his family, and he plays my recorded music at funerals.
"She wanted more songs," Gale said, "and I was going to serve pop corn during intermission, but..." (laugh)
Jerry explained some options, and we discussed transporting our bodies from SE Texas to SE Kansas. He can drive to Texas and pick up our pre-embombed bodies from a sub-contractor-mortician. We may chose a casket in Texas or he'll carry us on a gurney.
Suddenly, I saw myself bouncing about in the hearse as he slid around curves snaking through the Boston Mountains. While worshiping my Lord and shouting glory-hallelujah, I glanced down and chuckled at my bones and flesh and fat pads tousled every which way.
Now, I know Jerry is too professional to let that happen, but sometimes my imagination bursts like a night-sky on the fourth of July.
I handed him a CD. "I know you usually don't have six songs at funerals, but these are my testimony and I want them played."
He smiled. "No, we usually don't, but I know music is important to you. We'll play them." We went to church with Jerry and his family, and he plays my recorded music at funerals.
"She wanted more songs," Gale said, "and I was going to serve pop corn during intermission, but..." (laugh)
Jerry explained some options, and we discussed transporting our bodies from SE Texas to SE Kansas. He can drive to Texas and pick up our pre-embombed bodies from a sub-contractor-mortician. We may chose a casket in Texas or he'll carry us on a gurney.
Suddenly, I saw myself bouncing about in the hearse as he slid around curves snaking through the Boston Mountains. While worshiping my Lord and shouting glory-hallelujah, I glanced down and chuckled at my bones and flesh and fat pads tousled every which way.
Now, I know Jerry is too professional to let that happen, but sometimes my imagination bursts like a night-sky on the fourth of July.
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