December 25th

Merry Christmas!

Happy Birthday Jesus!

King of the Nations

In Jeremiah 10:7 the Bible reads "Who would not fear thee O King of the Nations".

Being a missionary to Kenya, I am often asked the question "are you scared?". This verse must be my driving force. God is not only King of Kings but he also rules the nations. Sometimes we do not understand why God allows certain things to go on and on and on, but we must always remember He is still on the throne. So weather in Africa, Peru, China or France where ever God has called you He is still on the THRONE!

Thought for the day: With every great blessing comes a great responsibility, and with every responsibility comes a great blessing!

Measuring Up to God!

Zechariah 2:1 ¶ I lifted up mine eyes again, and looked, and behold a man with a measuring line in his hand.

2 Then said I, Whither goest thou? And he said unto me, To measure Jerusalem, to see what is the breadth thereof, and what is the length thereof.

What if the Angel of the Lord was knocking on your door with a measuring line? Would it measure up to that of the Lord Jesus? No, of course not the Bible says in Romans 3:23 For all have sinned and come SHORT of the glory of God. So therefore God tells us that we could never measure up to God's standard.


But, that isn't the Question this morning. The Question is are you trying to be all that you can be for the Lord Jesus Christ? Are you listening carefully to His voice and waiting on Him to speak unto you..

You should be!

Receiving One Another!

Romans 15:7 ¶ Wherefore receive ye one another, as Christ also received us to the glory of God.

When Christ RECEIVED us he did not agree with everything we agreed with, when Christ received me He embraced me (cared for me during trouble). He accepted me (cared for me when no other believer would)


I didn't deserve Christ love. I didn't deserve His salvation. I didn't deserve His sacrifice.

Sometimes people are not going to agree with everything that you agree with, sometimes people will not deserve it, sometimes it will be difficult to love to embrace, to accept/ receive . But as the Bible says we ought to accept one another.

Romans 15:7 ¶ Wherefore receive ye one another, as Christ also received us to the glory of God.

Ro 7:25 I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin

There are so many comparisons in this book of Romans. But today we find another comparison. The Law of God, and the Law of the Flesh. Paul begins to write this chapter with the illustration of a woman being bound to her husband by law. And certainly she is, but in a spiritual stand point we are bound to the law of the flesh.


Now after we are saved, we are no longer under the law of the flesh, but under the Law of God.
We still have to deal with the spiritual warfare going on in our body, but we are not servants to that law. We are servants of God and we must, as Paul said mind our self to serve the Law of God. It is a conscientious decision to serve God or not today...!!!..

Servants of one or the other

Servants of Sin
Father is the devil
Free from Righteousness
Yield your members to
sin
Fruit of damnation
Sin reigns in the body


Servants of Righteousness
Obedience reigns in the body
Father is God
Free from Sin
Yield your members to Holiness
Fruit of Everlasting life

This is good

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?

17 But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you. {which...: Gr. whereto ye were delivered}

18 Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.

Need I say Anymore!!

Grace -vs- Debt ?

Romans 4:4 Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt.

5 But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.

Grace -vs- Debt in verse #4...

Suppose that you worked at a factory 5 days a week, you worked 8 hours a day. You poured blood, sweat and tears into that job. Now it's payday, the company in which you worked for is in DEBT to you.


We realize that this is not the way salvation works. When we work for God it should be because we are in debt to Him, not because He is in debt to us. If we believe that is counted unto us for righteousness, but when we work for righteousness we have the only reward that we will ever have.

We are in debt to God!!!

The dangers of being Un-thankful

Ro 1:21 Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.

1. You will turn from God and turn to yourself

2. Your heart will become darkened

3. And in the end God gives you up to uncleanness

Be thankful for all that you have today for there is a danger behind not being thankful. God has loved us with an everlasting love, share it with someone today. And be thankful for all that you have...

To the Uttermost

Hebrews 7:25 Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.

In this chapter we read how that the Priest had to offer up sacrifices daily. I'm so thankful for a God that would lay down His own life, to save me to the uttermost... If we were to read this too swiftly we would think he is speaking on the subject of saving the worst of sinners. But in the context it shows Him saving us forevermore.


Then at the end of the verse it reads "he ever liveth to make intercession for them". This means He is bringing dirty sinners to a holy God and reconciling them. Turning their enmity into a relationship.

Have you been reconciled to God through Jesus' blood?
Have you been saved to the uttermost?
If you have then be excited about it and tell someone else...

The Anchor

I can remember as a young boy going out on the boat with my dad. Even before we left the house my dad always asked if we had the anchor and of course we always did. So we launched the boat and set out to catch a few fish. Well, having the anchor back then didn't mean much. But, now I understand the reason for having the anchor handy. When the fish are bitting you would set the anchor so you could stay where the fish were.



Our Family is called to go to Kenya. We know from scripture that the anchor is referring to Jesus Christ. In order for us to go to Kenya and win lost souls, we will have to let down the ANCHOR. That is where God has put our fish and we must take our Anchor with us.

All the Anchors Shining Bright

In the Still Waters of the Night.

Beautiful, and handy on a Ship

Always Sticking Together,

And Never Losing their Grip.

The Key to your Boat

In Order to Stay Afloat

Is Hanging by a Rope;

‘Tis the Anchor Symbolizing Your Hope.

How Americans Spend Their Money

Food-------------------------------------------------------------$84 billion
Cars and us-e---------------------------------------------------61 billion
Housing-----------------------------------------------------------46 billion
Household operation------------------------------------------50 billion
Clothing, Accessories, etc.----------------------------------35 billion
Recreation--------------------------------------------------------21 billion
Illegal gambling--------------------------------------------------11 billion
Vacations---------------------------------------------------------9 billion
Tobacco------------------------------------------------- ---------8 billion
Personal Care-----------------------------------------------------6 billion
Religion & Welfare-----------------------------------------------5 billion
Dogs, cats, birds (pets)------------------------------------------4 billion
Pet food, cats, dogs and birds-------------------------------712 million
Toys---------------------------------------------------------500 million
Greeting Cards----------------------------------------------341 million
Chewing Gum------------------------------------------------304 million
Foreign Missions----------------------------------------190 million
Ball point pens-------------------------------------------------144 million

It is sad to say that we Americans spend more money on chewing gum than we do on the lost souls of people all over the world...

"If we Neglect so Great Salvation"

Hebrews 2:3 How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him;

What a profound statement/ question. We must understand that there is no escape from hell outside of the Lord Jesus’ salvation. Jesus said I am the way the truth and the life, no man cometh unto the Father but by me. The Bible says if you try to go any other way you are nothing but a thief or a robber.



John 10:1 ¶ Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber.


Therefore how can we neglect or put away so great a Salvation? Free, all we had to do is ask for it. Paid for by the Blood of the only begotten, Christ. But yet do we not neglect so great a salvation when we SIN? If you have any questions about salvation you can email me for more information.

He has given His life for us, let us give our life to Him…

Lest at any Time we should let them Slip.

Heb 2:1 ¶ Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip.

During my devotion today, I stumbled over this verse and tripped. I do not know much about the Bible but, I do know enough to know that if the Bible says give earnest heed then we need to listen. But this verse says something even greater than that "more earnest heed".

In the previous chapter ( chap. 1) we see that the word of God is describing Jesus. and then in the first verse of chapter 2, it says give the more earnest heed. Heed to what ? The things in which we have heard. What have we heard?

• Jesus is the Son of God
• Jesus was the Promised Messiah
• The word of God is true, is perfect
• Jesus died for our sins
• He was buried
• He arose
  
• Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves(going to church)
• Pray without ceasing
• Saved by grace not by works
• Reading your Bible daily
  

"All these many things we have heard... We ought to give the more earnest heed."

Then is says lest we should let them slip. In today's world in which we live, it becomes more and more difficult to serve God. That is why we need to give more earnest heed to what God is trying to teach us.

If we don't give heed we are going to let some very important thing slip.

The reason America is where she is, is because we Christians have let some things slip...

How about today you and I get a better grip and give the more earnest heed to the things of God?

The Oil of Gladness !

Heb 1:9 Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.

Lately it seems as if we have a generation of very angry people. We have road rage , gang violence, angry parents, angry young people. But, in Heb. 1:9 the Bible tells us of an oil of gladness. I don't know about you but I need to run down to the local market and pick some of that up. AMEN! I need more gladness in my life in order that I can show forth Christ in my life. Because lets face the facts glad people are contagious. If you were to walk around with a long face all day do you think anyone would want what you have?

The way that leads to Gladness is through loving righteousness, and hating iniquity. To love righteousness is to enjoy obeying God's holy Word... Hating evil is pushing evil out of your way to get to the Saviour.

When you go to Church today go with the oil of Gladness upon your head!

Envision the World in Total Darkness

For just a moment I would like to cause you to ponder. What would it feel like to be in total darkness? So dark that you could not see your hand 3 inches in front of your face. I'm talking about pure darkness.

But wait, look there I can see something what is it. We have been in darkness so long, we don't know what seeing feels like. A young boy says to his father, "can you see that dad?". A young girl says to her mother can you see the light? Can you imagine the excitement he must have felt to see true light!!!

Matthew 4:16 The people which sat in darkness saw great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up.

Matthew 5:14 Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.

We have the light of the world dwelling in us, as Christians. But, the problem does not lie with in the darkness the problem lies when God's children hold in that light. That light is the power and glory of God. The same light that we saw when we were saved. And know we try to hide it. Shhhh don't tell anyone that we are saved. That's why so many are coming out of the closet, because we have went in...

Luke 1:79 To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.

Will you show your light today?

Addicted to the ministry

1Co 16:15 I beseech you, brethren, (ye know the house of Stephanas, that it is the firstfruits of Achaia, and that they have addicted themselves to the ministry of the saints,)

We have addicted ourselves to everything except God's work. Money, drugs, liquor, and sex. All the while the work of God goes undone. Often we find ourselves looking back and saying what happened to the Preachers of old, who knew what it meant to pray and fast all night? May I say they have become consumed with the addictions of this world and not with God's work.... When the Bible tells us about going astray we look to everyone else and point the finger, but we are the one is which that passage is about.

What is an Addict?

Addict=somebody dependent on a drug: somebody who is physiologically or mentally dependent on a drug liable to have a damaging physiological or psychological effect
Encarta ® World English Dictionary © & (P) 1998-2004 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

What are we dependent on today? Drugs? Liquor? Television? Work?
Or is the Ministry of bringing souls to Christ???

Oh to have a Heart for God

Philemon 1:1 ¶ Paul, a prisoner of Jesus Christ, and Timothy our brother, unto Philemon our dearly beloved, and fellowlabourer.

You must understand where Paul is coming from. We now have a man that has converted to True Christianity. But before he had put Christians through so much turmoil and strife, jail, death, and stoning as we remember Stephen. "Saul was consenting unto his death" Acts 8:1

And now we see that Paul which was the persecutor.
Is become the prisoner.

Now what does that mean?
1 You must give up all rights.
(We must give up our will as did Jesus)
2 You must wear the uniform of the prisoner.
(There shouldn't be any doubt about who rules your life by the outward appearance)
3 We as prisoners of Jesus Christ cannot do, say, act, or live our way any more
(We are now bought with a Price, ? We must glorify God and not ourselves)
4 Lastly we need to be Humble prisoners.
(To be a humble servant of God is not always easy but it's right,
Oh to have a heart after God.


In order to be strong we must first be week. And in order to be free we must be willing to be a prisoner.

Be a prisoner for Christ today...