Praying the Sinner's Prayer

How can something so simple become so inflated with a purpose that supposedly leads to salvation? How cunning is Satan? To lead people to believe that praying a designated prayer leading to salvation is true and real. By taking the emphasis off Christ the Savior, the only author of salvation, the one true living God, the giver of everlasting life! While prayer for deliverance from sin is part of salvation, we must know that it is what Christ has done alone that brings salvation. It is by our obedience to Christ and His teaching that we are given this gift. We can not earn it nor can we reimburse payment to Christ through works. That is the power of the Cross!! How can you know Christ? You must read His Word to know who you serve. He reveals the truth to you if you seek Him with your whole heart. What is baptism? It is obedience to Christ, passing from old life to new, an outward act of death to self and resurrection to new life following Christ. Your regeneration comes from hearing the Word and allowing the indwelling Spirit of Christ control of your all! What does that look like? Turning from sinful things, being obedient to Christ, prayer, love of others, searching the scripture for truth, repentance, peace and joy, just to name a few. I did not say that the trials of life would pass you by or that you would be monetarily set for life. When trouble comes, you will have your feet set on a Rock (Christ) and you will not be moved. It has a cost! Deny self and follow! Some think this a joke, but eternity is real and souls will live in Heaven or Hell. Who can obtain salvation? Those whom the Lord calls!

Heb.9:27 And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment

Lord, open eyes and hearts to the majesty of You. You supply our every need according to Your mercy and by Your power we are saved from Hell. Amen

Acts 4:11-12

11 This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone. 
12 And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved." 


1Tim.2:3-6 

3 This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, 
4 who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. 
5 For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, 
6 who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time.

Col.2:12-14 

12 having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead. 

13 And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, 

14 by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross.

Romans 9:14-16

14 What shall we say then? Is there injustice on God's part? By no means! 

15 For he says to Moses, "I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion." 

16 So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy.

Rev.22:17 The Spirit and the Bride say, "Come." And let the one who hears say, "Come." And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires take the water of life without price.

To Destroy Him Without Reason

Job 2:3 And the LORD said to Satan, "Have you considered my servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, who fears God and turns away from evil? He still holds fast his integrity, although you incited me against him to destroy him without reason."


We wonder why when tragedy strikes! We wonder who or what to blame!  We ask a lot of if questions! We actually think we are in charge! The Bible is clear that because we live in a fallen sinful world, sin will take it's toll on sinners! That is why we should hate all manner of sin. Sin is evil! Sin destroys! Satan is a liar and a tempter! It is very clear that Satan is out to destroy man and will use his cunning to do so! The Bible also tells us Who our hope is found in. It is Christ Jesus who was obedient to His Father's plan. Fulfilling the Father's will, by His death on a cross, so that we could be reconciled to a holy God. Christ precious blood literally covers over our sin so that we can be holy and righteous before God. It is a gift, you can not repay! It is unmerited! It is not a prayer, but a heart change. Broken, obedient and falling before His throne of mercy and grace. Have you been there? Is it only by grace that you are saved? All power and authority has been given to the Son! We, as believers, are to tell the world, that Christ alone saves! There is no other way, no other God! Only Christ is the true living God and all power and forgiveness is His! He has risen and sits at the right hand of God, ever interceding on our behalf. Our time is short, today may be our last! Will you read God's written word? Will you seek the truth of the power of Christ? Will you share that knowledge? 

Lord, give us boldness to snatch the perishing souls from Hell! Loose our tongues with the fire of Your salvation. Do not give us peace unless we proclaim You to the nations! Amen

Exercise and the Decaying Heart

1Tim.4:8 for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.


How is it that man has become so enamored with the look of his body that he has forsaken the very thing that corrupts both body and soul and will send him straight to Hell? I am speaking of our sinful rebellion and the love of self !! Has man not learned from God's Word that God means for us to pursue holiness? Give of yourself to help others, your time and your resources. Seek God and strive for holiness. Has exercise become your religion? Do you depend on it for your peace of mind and well being? I am not saying exercise is bad. It is beneficial.  I am saying, it is not where your devotion should be! Follow Christ and His commands!

Titus 3:8 The saying is trustworthy, and I want you to insist on these things, so that those who have believed in God may be careful to devote themselves to good works. These things are excellent and profitable for people.

Matthew 6:33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

Matthew 6:27 And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?

Mark 7:15 There is nothing outside a person that by going into him can defile him, but the things that come out of a person are what defile him.”

Eternity Lies at the Door

Matt.24:36-51
36 "But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only. 
37 For as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. 
38 For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, 
39 and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. 
40 Then two men will be in the field; one will be taken and one left. 
41 Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken and one left. 
42 Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. 
43 But know this that if the master of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. 
44 Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect. 
45 "Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom his master has set over his household, to give them their food at the proper time? 
46 Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes. 
47 Truly, I say to you, he will set him over all his possessions. 
48 But if that wicked servant says to himself, 'My master is delayed,' 
49 and begins to beat his fellow servants and eats and drinks with drunkards, 
50 the master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know 
51 and will cut him in pieces and put him with the hypocrites. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.


Matt.25:31-46
31 "When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. 
32 Before him will be gathered all the nations and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 
33 And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left. 
34 Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. 
35 For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, 
36 I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.' 
37 Then the righteous will answer him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? 
38 And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? 
39 And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?' 
40 And the King will answer them, 'Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.' 
41 "Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 
42 For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, 
43 I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.' 
44 Then they also will answer, saying, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?' 
45 Then he will answer them, saying, 'Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.' 
46 And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."

These are the sobering facts that we need to feel….
Jesus delay will be long but His return will be sudden! His judgment on our exposed hearts will be irreversible! Our sentence may be surprising! Our lives will stand alone! We must be prepared!
Are we keeping watch for Christ as we faithfully follow Him? Are we trusting Christ as we live out our lives? Are we keeping watch for Christ as we faithfully follow Him? Are we trusting Christ as we live out our lives? Are we serving Christ with our talents, being His stewards, showing His love, and serving our fellow Christians with a pure heart? Serving with a heart that has been changed by Christ as evidence of His gift of salvation?

There are two eternal destinations, Heaven and Hell!
Heaven is the place of enjoyment, delight, joy,and peace which God has prepared for His obedient children.
Hell is the place for Satan, demons and where the Un-repentant sinners will spend eternity. It is the place of total separation from the Father's love, unquenchable agony and never-ending suffering.

Will you deny Christ as Savior or will you bow to Him as King?

Lord, help us to teach the world of Your loving kindness. Help us to submit to Christ and His throne of grace as our only hope! Amen

Thanks Pastor David!

Breathed On

John 20:21-23 
21Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.” 
22 And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 
23  If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld.”


The Spirit of Christ is in you if you know and obey His commands! He gives you a new nature that is undeniably different. You will look at people in a whole new way! You will see the need for the love of all who are lost! I am not saying you will not sin, for as long as we are in this mortal body, we will have a sin nature. But you will repent, you will not stay in your sin.
Lord, help us to deny self. Help us to yield to You everyday. Show us the way to love people as You first loved us. Amen

John 20:27-31

27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.” 
28 Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” 
29 Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
30  Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; 
31  but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.

All the Treasures of Wisdom and Knowledge

Colossians 2:2-3 
2 that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God's mystery, which is Christ, 

3 in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge

"Christ, as Mediator, was the great treasure-house where were to be found all the wisdom and knowledge needful for people". This is a quote from Barnes commentary, so true, if the people would listen! We need the knowledge Christ imparts and it is found in the Gospel! Our salvation is accomplished by a divine plan, devised by God, by His power and through His infinite mercy! Are you rooted in Christ? Are you immersed in the knowledge of His Word? It is for our benefit, for our instruction, for our nourishment and for our chastisement! Christian, you must be intimate with Christ, to know Him, to follow Him and to search the dept of Him through His Word!

Isaiah 40:14 Whom did the LORD consult to enlighten him, and who taught him the right way? Who was it that taught him knowledge or showed him the path of understanding?

Do you get it? God is all!! He was and is and will be!

Job 38:4 "Where were you when I laid the earth's foundation? Tell me, if you understand.

Lord, I pray for all the ones who do not know You as Lord. Let Your words go forth from Your people as we sing Your praises to teach the lost. Amen

Do You Really Pray?

Do you pray? No now, I mean really pray! I mean glorify Him for who He is! I mean sing praises for what Christ has done! I mean bow before Him and beg for mercy! I mean trust and obey Him!


Matt.6:7 “And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words.

Ecclesiastes 5:2 Do not be quick with your mouth, do not be hasty in your heart to utter anything before God. God is in heaven and you are on earth, so let your words be few.

Matt.6:5-6
5 "And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. 6 But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
Lord, mighty One, forgive us, heal us, teach us to love like You. Examine our hearts and cleanse us. Amen

Apart From Me

John 15:5 I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.


God is sovereign! He does not need us! We are totally dependent on him! Christ is the mediator between God and man, the beginning of life, the very essence of sustaining life! We must bear fruit! It is a command!

John 1:1-4 

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 

2 He was in the beginning with God. 

3 All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. 

4 In him was life, and the life was the light of men.

John 6:33 For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world." 

1Tim.2:5 For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus

Christ chose......

John 15:16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you.

While we were sinners......

Romans 5:8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us

Lord God, through Your mercy You have sent Christ to save the souls of men. We honor You with praise when we should honor You with much fruit! Forgive us, Amen.

Yours is the Kingdom

1Chronicles.29:11 Yours, O LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, for all that is in the heavens and in the earth is yours. Yours is the kingdom, O LORD, and you are exalted as head above all.


Man thinks he is smart! He does not consider all knowledge comes from You Lord! We were created by Your hand and in Your image! We did not speak the world and all it holds, into existence. Nor was the magnificent universe created by a single living man. We did not create cells which in turn split and eventually form a human. How can man be puffed up at who he is? For in comparison to You Lord, he is nothing!!

1Chronicles.29:12-14
12 Both riches and honor come from you, and you rule over all. In your hand are power and might, and in your hand it is to make great and to give strength to all. 

13 And now we thank you, our God, and praise your glorious name. 

14 "But who am I, and what is my people, that we should be able thus to offer willingly? For all things come from you, and of your own have we given you.

Psalm 89:11 The heavens are yours, and yours also the earth; you founded the world and all that is in it.

As Creator, King, the first and the last, Alpha and Omega, and everlasting God, we will bow before You to worship and to give honor to Him who is able!!

Revelation 5:13 Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, singing: "To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever!"

Romans 11:36 For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen.


How can you not believe? How can your eyes not behold all the wonders that is in creation? Man is without excuse!

Romans 1:20 For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.


Psalm 19:1  The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.


Mark 10:6 "But at the beginning of creation God 'made them male and female.'


Gen.1:27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.

Jeremiah 51:15 "He made the earth by his power; he founded the world by his wisdom and stretched out the heavens by his understanding.


Jeremiah 5:21 Hear this, you foolish and senseless people, who have eyes but do not see, who have ears but do not hear:

Lord, as we prepare to meet You, we will be without excuse! Only by the power of the cross are we reconciled to You. Show mercy to us who should be due Your wrath as we hold onto the power You have granted us through Christ for salvation. Amen