When Enough Just Ain't Enough

1 Tim.6:6-7

6 Now there is great gain in godliness with contentment, 

7 for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world.

How much is enough?
1 Tim.6:8
8 But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content.

The snare of riches....
1 Tim.6:9-10

9 But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. 
10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.


What God says....
Jer.9:23-24

23 Thus says the LORD: "Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, 

24 but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the LORD who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the LORD."

Right kind of riches....

2 Cor.6:10

10 as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, yet possessing everything

Christ....
2 Cor.8:9
9 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich.

His command....
1 Tim.6:17
17 As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy

Who, after all, is the giver of all good things? God alone!

Lord, we praise You for the air we breathe, the fruit we eat, the knowledge we have and the wealth we share, in Your name. Amen

The Fat of the Sacrifice

Old Testament
Lev.3:16
16 And the priest shall burn them on the altar as a food offering with a pleasing aroma. All fat is the LORD's
Lev.9:24
24 And fire came out from before the LORD and consumed the burnt offering and the pieces of fat on the altar, and when all the people saw it, they shouted and fell on their faces.

Leviticus 17:6 

And the priest shall throw the blood on the altar of the LORD at the entrance of the tent of meeting and burn the fat for a pleasing aroma to the LORD

God is the giver of all good things. Fat and blood were God's part of every sacrifice. Blood was shed for atonement. It can never be considered a common thing but is held in the highest regards. The blood of Christ alone stands for our atonement. The OT sacrifice, as commanded by God, taught the Jews the distinction between common and sacred things. Through Christ we are reconciled to God by His blood sacrifice!

New Testament
Heb.9:28
28 so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.

Hebrews 7:27 
27 Unlike the other high priests, he does not need to offer sacrifices day after day, first for his own sins, and then for the sins of the people. He sacrificed for their sins once for all when he offered himself.

Hebrews 5:9 
9 and, once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him

Heb.10:29

29 How much worse punishment, do you think, will be deserved by the one who has spurned the Son of God, and has profaned the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has outraged the Spirit of grace?

Matthew 26:28 
28 This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.

Hebrews 2:3 
3 how shall we escape if we ignore such a great salvation? This salvation, which was first announced by the Lord, was confirmed to us by those who heard him.

Hebrews 10:10 
10 And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

Heb.10:26-27

26 For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, 

27 but a fearful expectation of judgment, and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries.

Lord, help us make the right choices, keep us close to Your Word, write it on our hearts and minds so if we are tempted, Your Word will keep us. Amen

Biblical Glimpses of the Heavens

Gen.1:1
1 In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.

What we think we know about heaven has to be taken from the Word of God. We can speculate about it but heaven involves eternity, and there can be no speculation about eternity because it is a matter of where the soul will reside for all time. That being said, there is another place that the wicked soul will reside, a place of torment, suffering and eternal separation from God. I feel that much thought should go to whether you follow Christ or whether you follow the world. In the end heaven is where we want to be but Christ is the reason. We want God!

Lord, I ask for wisdom to discern the truth of Your glorious Word. To teach it in such a way as to make the heart skip a beat at Your majesty. I can do all things, even if I think I can't, through You and You alone. Amen

God is infinite....
1 Kings 8:27
27 "But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain you; how much less this house that I have built!

2 Kings 2:1
1 Now when the LORD was about to take Elijah up to heaven by a whirlwind, Elijah and Elisha were on their way from Gilgal.

2 Chr.7:14
14 if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.


Is.66:1
1 Thus says the LORD: "Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool; what is the house that you would build for me, and what is the place of my rest?

Ps.19:1
1 The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.

Ps.102:25
25 Of old you laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands

Matt.6:19-21
19 "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, 

20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 

21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Matt.19:23-24

23 And Jesus said to his disciples, "Truly, I say to you, only with difficulty will a rich person enter the kingdom of heaven. 

24 Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God."

Matt.19:26

26 But Jesus looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible." 

Matt.24:35

35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.

Matt.28:18

18 And Jesus came and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.

Heaven is a place of rejoicing....

Luke 15:7

7 Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance. 

Luke 18:22

22 When Jesus heard this, he said to him, "One thing you still lack. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me."

2 Cor.5:1
1 For we know that if the tent that is our earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.

2 Cor.12:2-3

2 I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven--whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows. 
3 And I know that this man was caught up into paradise--whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows--

Phil.2:10
10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,

Phil.3:20-21
20 But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, 
21 who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.

1 Thes.1:10
10 and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come

Heb.8:5
5 They serve a copy and shadow of the heavenly things. For when Moses was about to erect the tent, he was instructed by God, saying, "See that you make everything according to the pattern that was shown you on the mountain." 

Heb.9:24
24 For Christ has entered, not into holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true things, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf.

2 Pet.3:13
13 But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.

Rev.21:1
1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more.

Physical description of heaven....

Rev.21:9-27

9 Then came one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues and spoke to me, saying, "Come, I will show you the Bride, the wife of the Lamb." 
10 And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great, high mountain, and showed me the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God, 
11 having the glory of God, its radiance like a most rare jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal. 
12 It had a great, high wall, with twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and on the gates the names of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel were inscribed-- 
13 on the east three gates, on the north three gates, on the south three gates, and on the west three gates. 
14 And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. 
15 And the one who spoke with me had a measuring rod of gold to measure the city and its gates and walls. 
16 The city lies foursquare, its length the same as its width. And he measured the city with his rod, 12,000 stadia. Its length and width and height are equal. 
17 He also measured its wall, 144 cubits by human measurement, which is also an angel's measurement. 
18 The wall was built of jasper, while the city was pure gold, clear as glass. 
19 The foundations of the wall of the city were adorned with every kind of jewel. The first was jasper, the second sapphire, the third agate, the fourth emerald, 
20 the fifth onyx, the sixth carnelian, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, the twelfth amethyst. 
21 And the twelve gates were twelve pearls, each of the gates made of a single pearl, and the street of the city was pure gold, transparent as glass. 
22 And I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb. 
23 And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb. 
24 By its light will the nations walk, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it, 
25 and its gates will never be shut by day--and there will be no night there. 
26 They will bring into it the glory and the honor of the nations. 
27 But nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who does what is detestable or false, but only those who are written in the Lamb's book of life.

God will dwell with man...
Rev.21:3
3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God.

God is....
Is.44:6
6 Thus says the LORD, the King of Israel and his Redeemer, the LORD of hosts: "I am the first and I am the last; besides me there is no god.

Is.43:10
10 "You are my witnesses," declares the LORD, "and my servant whom I have chosen, that you may know and believe me and understand that I am he. Before me no god was formed, nor shall there be any after me.

Is.40:28-31

28 Have you not known? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable. 
29 He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength. 
30 Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; 
31 but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.

Ps.147:5
5 Great is our Lord, and abundant in power; his understanding is beyond measure.

Romans 11:27-34

27 "and this will be my covenant with them when I take away their sins." 
28 As regards the gospel, they are enemies of God for your sake. But as regards election, they are beloved for the sake of their forefathers. 
29 For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. 
30 For just as you were at one time disobedient to God but now have received mercy because of their disobedience, 
31 so they too have now been disobedient in order that by the mercy shown to you they also may now receive mercy. 
32 For God has consigned all to disobedience, that he may have mercy on all. 
33 Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways! 
34 "For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor?"



Heb.7:3
3 He is without father or mother or genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but resembling the Son of God he continues a priest forever.

Rev.4:8-11

8 And the four living creatures, each of them with six wings, are full of eyes all around and within, and day and night they never cease to say, "Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!" 
9 And whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to him who is seated on the throne, who lives forever and ever, 
10 the twenty-four elders fall down before him who is seated on the throne and worship him who lives forever and ever. They cast their crowns before the throne, saying, 
11 "Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created."

Rev.10:6
 6 and swore by him who lives forever and ever, who created heaven and what is in it, the earth and what is in it, and the sea and what is in it, that there would be no more delay

Lord, when I read these Words, I stand amazed at who You are! We can not know the depth of You! You are too marvelous for our mind to grasp! Teach us the truth of You, let us have joy and peace that only comes from knowing and trusting in the small glimpse we have of You. Amen

Motivated By Love/Making Disciples

Matt.28:16-20
16 Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. 

17 And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted. 

18 And Jesus came and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 

19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 

20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age."

Zechariah:7:8-10

8 And the word of the LORD came to Zechariah, saying, 
9 "Thus says the LORD of hosts, Render true judgments, show kindness and mercy to one another, 
10 do not oppress the widow, the fatherless, the sojourner, or the poor, and let none of you devise evil against another in your heart." 

Mark 12:28-34
28 And one of the scribes came up and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, asked him, "Which commandment is the most important of all?" 

29 Jesus answered, "The most important is, 'Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 

30 And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.' 

31 The second is this: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no other commandment greater than these." 

32 And the scribe said to him, "You are right, Teacher. You have truly said that he is one, and there is no other besides him. 

33 And to love him with all the heart and with all the understanding and with all the strength, and to love one's neighbor as oneself, is much more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices." 

34 And when Jesus saw that he answered wisely, he said to him, "You are not far from the kingdom of God." And after that no one dared to ask him any more questions.

John 13:34-35

34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. 

35 By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another." 

Making Disciples of Christ....

We glorify Christ as we become like Christ and as we see others become like Christ.
This is why we are disciples of Christ.
We study the Word, we share the Word.
We follow the Word, we show the Word.
We learn the Word, we teach the Word.
As we see the world, we serve the world.

What Disciple making looks like in a faith family....
Small groups....
Experiencing biblical community as we show and teach the Word to each other.
Accomplishing biblical mission as we share the word and serve the world.

Making Disciples in the Church....
We are motivated by love....
Love for God, love for each other, and love for those not yet in the kingdom.
We take the initiative to make and grow Disciples.
We come along side of each other, all working together, to accomplish making Disciples, Preschool, Children, Students, Singles, Couples, Parents, and Grandparents.

Making Disciples in the City....
We are ministers of mercy....
For the fatherless, the widows, the sojourner, and the poor.
The gospel is designed to travel through people, not projects.
The gospel is declared with a heart of humility not a sense of superiority.

Making Disciples as a Christian....
From the beginning....
Every follower of Jesus is a fisher of men.
To the end....
Every Disciple of Jesus makes Disciples of Jesus.
Christ compels us not to come, be baptized, and sit in one location, but to go, baptize, and make Disciples of all nations.

Thanks to Pastor David, John and Keith for this precious teaching!

The Unseen Plans of God

These are the highlights of a story of faith in God's sovereignty! Please read the whole story, it will be a blessing to you!

Unseen plans fulfilled....
Gen.39:1-5

1 Now Joseph had been brought down to Egypt, and Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, the captain of the guard, an Egyptian, had bought him from the Ishmaelites who had brought him down there. 

2 The LORD was with Joseph, and he became a successful man, and he was in the house of his Egyptian master. 

3 His master saw that the LORD was with him and that the LORD caused all that he did to succeed in his hands. 

4 So Joseph found favor in his sight and attended him, and he made him overseer of his house and put him in charge of all that he had.

5 From the time that he made him overseer in his house and over all that he had the LORD blessed the Egyptian's house for Joseph's sake; the blessing of the LORD was on all that he had, in house and field.

Faithful servant ....

Gen.39:7-9

7 And after a time his master's wife cast her eyes on Joseph and said, "Lie with me." 

8 But he refused and said to his master's wife, "Behold, because of me my master has no concern about anything in the house, and he has put everything that he has in my charge. 

9 He is not greater in this house than I am, nor has he kept back anything from me except yourself, because you are his wife. How then can I do this great wickedness and sin against God?"

Wicked accusing woman....

Gen.39:12-21

12 she caught him by his garment, saying, "Lie with me." But he left his garment in her hand and fled and got out of the house. 

13 And as soon as she saw that he had left his garment in her hand and had fled out of the house, 

14 she called to the men of her household and said to them, "See, he has brought among us a Hebrew to laugh at us. He came in to me to lie with me, and I cried out with a loud voice. 

15 And as soon as he heard that I lifted up my voice and cried out, he left his garment beside me and fled and got out of the house." 

16 Then she laid up his garment by her until his master came home, 

17 and she told him the same story, saying, "The Hebrew servant, whom you have brought among us, came in to me to laugh at me. 

18 But as soon as I lifted up my voice and cried, he left his garment beside me and fled out of the house." 

19 As soon as his master heard the words that his wife spoke to him, "This is the way your servant treated me," his anger was kindled. 

20 And Joseph's master took him and put him into the prison, the place where the king's prisoners were confined, and he was there in prison. 

21 But the LORD was with Joseph and showed him steadfast love and gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison.

God will, God has....

Gen.41:15-16

15 And Pharaoh said to Joseph, "I have had a dream, and there is no one who can interpret it. I have heard it said of you that when you hear a dream you can interpret it." 

16 Joseph answered Pharaoh, "It is not in me; God will give Pharaoh a favorable answer."

Gen.41:25
25 Then Joseph said to Pharaoh, "The dreams of Pharaoh are one; God has revealed to Pharaoh what he is about to do.





Gen.41:32
32 And the doubling of Pharaoh's dream means that the thing is fixed by God, and God will shortly bring it about.

In the Spirit....
Gen.41:38-41

38 And Pharaoh said to his servants, "Can we find a man like this, in whom is the Spirit of God?" 
39 Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, "Since God has shown you all this, there is none so discerning and wise as you are. 
40 You shall be over my house, and all my people shall order themselves as you command. Only as regards the throne will I be greater than you." 
41 And Pharaoh said to Joseph, "See, I have set you over all the land of Egypt."


Wicked, jealous men....
Gen.45:4-9

4 So Joseph said to his brothers, "Come near to me, please." And they came near. And he said, "I am your brother, Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt. 

5 And now do not be distressed or angry with yourselves because you sold me here, for God sent me before you to preserve life. 

6 For the famine has been in the land these two years, and there are yet five years in which there will be neither plowing nor harvest. 

7 And God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant on earth, and to keep alive for you many survivors. 

8 So it was not you who sent me here, but God. He has made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house and ruler over all the land of Egypt. 

9 Hurry and go up to my father and say to him, 'Thus says your son Joseph, God has made me lord of all Egypt. Come down to me; do not tarry.

Teach us Lord, teach. Amen

In My Mother's Womb I Live

Ps.139:13
13 For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb.

The "you" in this verse is not mother or father but our God, the Creator of all life. He alone formed and knitted you to make this wonderful creation called a living human being.

Ps.139:15-16

15 My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. 
16 Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them.

He had intimate knowledge of you, even the numbering of your days. Do you think the God of the universe considers you a human being at this point, remember He has numbered your days before you were even formed! Does that sound like someone God thinks is not important or worthy of life?

Ps.139:7
7 Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence?

Ps.139:4
4 Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O LORD, you know it altogether.


God is all encompassing! There is no place you can escape His knowledge of you and what you think or do!

Gen.1:26-27

26 Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth." 

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

We are made in the image of God! We are His offspring!

Acts 17:26-29

26 And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, 
27 that they should seek God, in the hope that they might feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us, 
28 for "'In him we live and move and have our being';as even some of your own poets have said, "'For we are indeed his offspring.' 
29 Being then God's offspring, we ought not to think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art and imagination of man.




Can you, knowing these bible truths, think it is okay to destroy an unborn child made by God?

Lord, I pray for Your strength and knowledge to withstand the evil of Satan for those who contemplate the killing of the innocent. For those who have sinned in fornication and are trying to hide the fact by killing the innocent, who have no choice. For those who are weak in faith and think they can not care for another child. For those who just do not want a child, Lord I ask for You to open their hearts to the wonder that is called life. And Lord, help us not to judge but to love them and to teach them Your ways. Amen

The Seeds We Plant

Matt.13:18-23
18 "Hear then the parable of the sower: 
19 When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is what was sown along the path. 
20 As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy, 
21 yet he has no root in himself, but endures for a while, and when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately he falls away. 
22 As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and it proves unfruitful. 
23 As for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it. He indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty."

God has indeed given us a mission, to go and make disciples. It is not ours to question but to go! The time is here and now, in your own land or maybe in an unfamiliar place. His word is the seed that can lead to salvation. If we live it, if we teach it, if we share it, He alone will bring in the harvest! Our prayer and study of His word is our cherished weapon against Satan. Christ has defeated Satan already!
Lord, teach us to be doers not just hearers. Amen

Don't Give Up

What Christ has done...
Hebrews 9:14 
How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!

Revelation 1:5 
and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood

Ps.51:2
Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin!

Job 12:10
In his hand is the life of every living thing and the breath of all mankind

1 John 1:9 
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness

When it's your appointed time to go, go in the grace of God who sent His Son to forgive you!
But as long as you are able, through the grace of God, who holds you, live!
We all have a death sentence, some sooner than others!
Some not for a long time!
So many different ways for death to take you, I could never name them all!
Some from disease, some from old age, some from murder, and some from self inflicted harm and so on! Life is about how we live not about how we die! It is how we let the potter mold us and make us according to His purpose. It is about how we glorify God before the unbelievers.

Who we are...
Ecc.3:20
All go to one place. All are from the dust, and to dust all return.
Ecc.9:5
For the living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing, and they have no more reward, for the memory of them is forgotten.
Ecc.12:7
and the dust returns to the earth as it was, and the spirit returns to God who gave it.
Ps.103:15-16
15 As for man, his days are like grass; he flourishes like a flower of the field; 
16 for the wind passes over it, and it is gone, and its place knows it no more. 

What A Blessing To Be Washed Clean

As I sat in the warm clear water, I had the overwhelming sense of what a blessing it is to be washed and clean from filth. I could not help but to compare it to being washed by the blood of Christ, for He truly takes away the filth of sin. I read something in a little devotional that I receive everyday from Life Worth Finding.Org, it was the commentary on Matthew 28:18-20 “All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.”


Here is that commentary...
Do you know what worry is? Worry is a mild form of atheism. It's acting like God doesn't exist. The great missionary David Livingstone took the Gospel to Africa and actually discovered and unlocked much of Africa. He lived a life of loneliness and danger. On January 14, 1856, surrounded by hostile people beating war drums like they were going to attack the next morning, he wrote in his journal: "Felt much turmoil of spirit in prospect of having all of my plans for the welfare of this great region and this teaming population knocked on the head by savages tomorrow."

Sitting at his campfire, he knows what's out there in the dark. Then he writes, “But I read that Jesus said, 'All power is given unto Me in heaven and in earth, go ye therefore and teach all nations, and lo I am with you always, even to the end of the world.' This is the word of a gentleman of the most strict and sacred honor. I will not cross furtively as I had intended. Why should such a man as I flee? I shall take observations for latitude and longitude tonight. Though it may be the last, I feel quite calm now. Thank God.”

Now what do we do with this new creation we are in Christ, free from the filth of sin ? Pray, learn from God's word, teach, make disciples, and give hope where there is none.

Lord, take our lives and mold them to glorify You in all the world! Amen

Pray and Not Lose Heart

Luke 18:1
1 And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart.

Is.40:28-3

28 Have you not known? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable. 

29 He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength. 

30 Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; 

31 but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.

Ps.50:15

15 and call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me."

James 5:13-20

13 Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise.
14 Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord.
15 And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.
16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.
17 Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth.
18 Then he prayed again, and heaven gave rain, and the earth bore its fruit.
19 My brothers, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back,
20 let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.

Job 5:8-11

8 "As for me, I would seek God, and to God would I commit my cause, 

9 who does great things and unsearchable, marvelous things without number: 

10 he gives rain on the earth and sends waters on the fields; 

11 he sets on high those who are lowly, and those who mourn are lifted to safety.

He hears every prayer offered by a humble heart. We should always pray, not just in times of trouble but when we are overjoyed with thanksgiving. Long for an answer, earnestly seek God and He will be found. I continually talk with Jesus. I have questions and He has the answers. I ask for boldness to speak His word of truth to the lost. I ask for open eyes to see, really see, the ones who need love. I ask for a discerning mind so I can teach the word of truth. I ask for acceptance of the things I can not understand or change, hurtful things that only God knows the whole story. I ask forgiveness when I am not faithful, when I rebel, when I think I have all the answers, or when I think or say mean things.
He is always in control! I am not!

Lord, I pray for faith to lean on You alone! To be humble in spirit, to seek You and Your will, to teach the glorious truth of Your word to the lost. Amen

Into the Lake of Fire

Rev.20:14

Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire.

Oh how I rejoice to read this verse!

We all die a little each day but it is a totally different thing to watch someone you love die from cancer. They waste away each and everyday and you can do nothing except to hide your tears from them.

Hospice is a collective group of caregivers who take care of the dying.
Hospice has social workers, chaplains, nurses, men who deliver the needed equipment to keep the patients comfortable and the blessed ones who minister to the personal needs of the dying, baths etc.
Hospice is an incredible tool in your loved one's death journey. They offer pain management which is a huge blessing.

Death makes me hate sin all the more!   

Sin brought death but death has been defeated by the blood of Christ.
Satan is our enemy!
Sin is our enemy!
Death is our enemy!

1 Corinthians 15:26 

26 The last enemy to be destroyed is death

Christ is...

Revelation 1:18 
18 I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades

Christ the redeemer...
Col.2:14
14 by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross

Ephesians 2:15 
15 by abolishing in his flesh the law with its commandments and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new man out of the two, thus making peace

1 Peter 2:24 
24 He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed

Satan will...
Revelation 14:10 
10 he, too, will drink of the wine of God's fury, which has been poured full strength into the cup of his wrath. He will be tormented with burning sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and of the Lamb.


Revelation 20:10 
10 And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever



Christ will...

Revelation 21:4 

4 he will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away."

Lord, we praise You for the power that is found in You. The power of salvation, the power to destroy death, the power to destroy Satan, the incredible mercy You have shown to us who deserve judgment,
and Your obedience to the God the Father are far beyond man's comprehension! Forgive me when I fall into rebellion. Teach me how to love, to teach your word, to show mercy and to forgive. Let me be a blessing to the ones who need a blessing. Teach me to be quite, to listen and really hear from the heart. Amen

Gail's Homecoming

Job 1:21
21 And he said, "Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked shall I return. The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD."

Yesterday I went to, well let's call it what most people call it, a funeral. But this was not a ordinary goodbye to a deceased human being. This could only be described as a celebration of life and a homecoming for a sinner saved by grace who went to be with her Savior. The church was full of people who loved her and her family. They all were there to tell the world that this was not the end for Gail, but the beginning of a promised eternity with Christ. Her grieving son spoke of his mother with a calm and clear voice that could only come from the assurance that Christ is real and He is able to deliver all from the slavery of sin and keep us for eternity by His blood sacrifice. By His death and resurrection, He saves to the uttermost! All mankind will die! All mankind will face judgment! All mankind will have an eternity! It will be heaven or hell, there is no other destination! Once you are dead, all hope is lost!

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

Heb.9:11-15
11 But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things that have come, then through the greater and more perfect tent (not made with hands, that is, not of this creation) 

12 he entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption. 

13 For if the blood of goats and bulls, and the sprinkling of defiled persons with the ashes of a heifer, sanctify for the purification of the flesh, 

14 how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God. 

15 Therefore he is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance, since a death has occurred that redeems them from the transgressions committed under the first covenant.

1 Cor.1:18

18 For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

Romans 1:16 
16 I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile.

2 Corinthians 4:3 
3 And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing.

2 Thessalonians 2:10 
10 and in every sort of evil that deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved.

Hebrews 12:2 
2 Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God

As a Christian I only call earth my temporary home! I am just passing through with a mission from God to share the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ. It is not about if you are a good person or if you do charitable things! It is about the blood of Christ and the washing away of our sinful lives! It is about repentance and being born again as a new creation. It is about clinging to Christ who alone saves men from hell by the power given Him by God the father! If you earnestly seek Him, He will be found. Search the scriptures, open your ear to hear and your eyes to see and your wounded heart to receive the hope that is found in Christ alone!!!

Lord, by Your power and for Your glory! Amen

Water for Repentance

Matt.3:11
11 "I baptize you with water for repentance, but he who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.
Titus 3:5 
5 he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit,

What is repentance mean? Man has a sinful heart. He is in rebellion against the law of God. We are to strive to live a holy life unto God. This is the essence of repentance, turn from rebellion and lead a holy life. Man can not be holy without the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. This sweet Spirit convicts us of all manner of sin. God's word convicts us also. You can not know God if you do not read His word! Your heart deceives!


Man's sinful heart...
Jer.17:9

9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?

Mark 7:20-23

20 And he said, "What comes out of a person is what defiles him. 

21 For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, 

22 coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. 

23 All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person." 

Man's rebellion...

Romans 1:18-21

18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth.
19 For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them.
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.
21 For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened.

Matthew 13:15 

15 For this people's heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.

God's mercy...

Matt.9:13
13 Go and learn what this means, ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”

Acts 17:23-31

23 For as I passed along and observed the objects of your worship, I found also an altar with this inscription, 'To the unknown god.'What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you. 
24 The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, 
25 nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything. 
26 And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, 
27 that they should seek God, in the hope that they might feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us, 
28 for "'In him we live and move and have our being';as even some of your own poets have said, "'For we are indeed his offspring.' 
29 Being then God's offspring, we ought not to think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art and imagination of man. 
30 The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent, 
31 because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead."

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.


Matthew Henry's commentary...
The gospel call is a call to repentance; a call to us to change our minds, and to change our ways. If the children of men had not been sinners, there had been no need for Christ to come among them. Let us examine whether we have found out our sickness, and have learned to follow the directions of our great Physician.

Lord, keep us from proud hearts. forgive us as we often fail You. Open dead hearts to receive Your word of life. Amen

In His Image

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

By His power...
Gen.2:7
7 then the LORD God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature.

God's plan...
Gen.2:15-17

15 The LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it. 

16 And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, "You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, 

17 but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die." 

Gen.2:21-25

21 So the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and while he slept took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh. 

22 And the rib that the LORD God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man. 

23 Then the man said, "This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man." 

24 Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. 

25 And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed. 

Satan's temptation and Man's fall into sin...
Gen.3:1-13

1 Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, "Did God actually say, 'You shall not eat of any tree in the garden'?" 

2 And the woman said to the serpent, "We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, 

3 but God said, 'You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.'" 

4 But the serpent said to the woman, "You will not surely die. 

5 For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil." 

6 So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate. 

7 Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths. 

8 And they heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden. 

9 But the LORD God called to the man and said to him, "Where are you?" 

10 And he said, "I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself." 

11 He said, "Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten of the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?" 

12 The man said, "The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree, and I ate." 

13 Then the LORD God said to the woman, "What is this that you have done?" The woman said, "The serpent deceived me, and I ate." 

God's sentence for rebellion...
Gen.3:14-19

14 The LORD God said to the serpent, "Because you have done this, cursed are you above all livestock and above all beasts of the field; on your belly you shall go, and dust you shall eat all the days of your life. 

15 I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel." 

16 To the woman he said, "I will surely multiply your pain in childbearing; in pain you shall bring forth children. Your desire shall be for your husband, and he shall rule over you." 

17 And to Adam he said, "Because you have listened to the voice of your wife and have eaten of the tree of which I commanded you, 'You shall not eat of it,' cursed is the ground because of you; in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life; 

18 thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you; and you shall eat the plants of the field. 

19 By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return." 

So you ask "why does God allow bad things to happen"? Man's disobedience caused "bad things"! Man is held in bondage by Satan because of sin! We always try to figure out why, when we should ask God to have mercy and to forgive our disobedience! We like sheep have gone astray! Our good Shepherd, Christ has come to redeem all who are lost! The world no longer has any shame about sinful acts, instead we condone them!

How can man ignore such a great salvation? Death and destruction is what we deserve but Christ in His mercy took God's wrath. Wrath that belongs to you and me! Not even death could hold the King of Kings and Lord of Lords! Praise Him! Christ is wholly God and wholly man!

Acts 2:24
24 God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it.

One man's obedience...

Romans 5:19

19 For as by the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man's obedience the many will be made righteous.