God-The All In All

Spirit....
Ex.35:31
and he has filled him with the Spirit of God, with skill, with intelligence, with knowledge, and with all craftsmanship

Foolish man, you think you possess knowledge on your own!
God alone has given you knowledge, skill, brains and the gift of craftsmanship.
So when we see a gifted surgeon saving someone’s life, a scientific breakthrough achieved through a gifted scientist's research, a beautifully crafted piece of furniture, or well thought out invention, send praise to God for His marvelous deeds!
All God's creation is subject to Him!
We get a small glimpse of God's unfathomable knowledge when we see the human body and all it's magnificent, intricate parts!
There is no denying God when you look inside the body!
There is no denying God when you look at creation!
There is no denying God when you look at a newborn baby!
There is no denying God when you see someone delivered from the grip of a sinful life to a new life in Christ!

Truth....
Prov.2:6
For the LORD gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding;

Worship....
Romans 12:1

I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.

1 Corinthians 6:20 

you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body

1 Peter 2:5 

you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ

All in all....
Col.1:17

And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.

John 1:1 
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God

John 8:58 

"I tell you the truth," Jesus answered, "before Abraham was born, I am!"

Hebrews 1:3 The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven

Lord God, our all in all, we praise You! Amen

The Lost Soul

All men are lost. Lost is separated from God because of sin. You may be a prostitute, you can be a member of the Rotary Club, you can be a Catholic, a Baptist, a Pentecostal, a Methodist, a Muslim, a President, a Senator, a Sunday school teacher, a school teacher, a bank president, a business mogul, a poor person and so on and so forth. Lost is lost, with no respect to the person's lot in life. We are all born in sin, we all need a Savior, we all need Christ! You can not be saved by being good, doing the  right thing, or attending Church. You must be born again! You must come before Christ with a humble heart, asking for mercy, asking for His cleansing blood to wash you free from sin. You must have the knowledge that Christ alone will save you from hell! That knowledge comes from God's written Word, the bible. The bible is breathed out by God! The words will cut you to your core, showing you sinful man and the wickedness he does. And in contrast, the bible will intimately show you Christ in all His magnificence!

Luke 19:10
10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost."

John 3:17
17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.

1 Tim.1:15
15 The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost.

You must make a choice, to seek God or chase the things of the world! Sin can be satisfying for awhile, during the party time, amidst all the rivalry, but then comes the alone time. You begin to question, is this all there is? You begin to feel all alone. You feel the need to party more often so you will not be alone. You are alive this very moment because God has a plan for you, an unique plan only for you. Don't you want to know what God has planned for you? Don't waste your life on things that will burn away. Trust in Christ, for He alone saves the lost!

Lord, we tell of Your goodness. We praise You for who You are. Your word says, we have not because we ask not. Lord, I am asking for the lost souls that You have promised. I am asking that as we teach, You bring in the harvest. Change lives so that they may change lives, in Your name! Amen

Jesus Wept

John 11:35
Jesus wept.

Luke 19:41
As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it

John 11:33
When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled.

The Son of God wept, He who has been given all authority wept.
We are made in God's image, we weep.
Created in God's image, not just the way His image appears but maybe something more, something deeper!
I am reminded of the argumentative conversation between God and Abraham about the destruction of Sodom.
Abraham asked God "shall not the Judge of all the earth do what is just?"
Abraham knew from the study of God's word and his relationship with God that God demands justice.
He was secure enough in that relationship to, in reverence, to intercede for the few righteous people of Sodom.

Genesis 18:22-33
22 So the men turned from there and went toward Sodom, but Abraham still stood before the Lord. 23 Then Abraham drew near and said, “Will you indeed sweep away the righteous with the wicked? 24 Suppose there are fifty righteous within the city. Will you then sweep away the place and not spare it for the fifty righteous who are in it? 25 Far be it from you to do such a thing, to put the righteous to death with the wicked, so that the righteous fare as the wicked! Far be that from you! Shall not the Judge of all the earth do what is just?” 26 And the Lord said, “If I find at Sodom fifty righteous in the city, I will spare the whole place for their sake.”
27 Abraham answered and said, “Behold, I have undertaken to speak to the Lord, I who am but dust and ashes. 28 Suppose five of the fifty righteous are lacking. Will you destroy the whole city for lack of five?” And he said, “I will not destroy it if I find forty-five there.” 29 Again he spoke to him and said, “Suppose forty are found there.” He answered, “For the sake of forty I will not do it.” 30 Then he said, “Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak. Suppose thirty are found there.” He answered, “I will not do it, if I find thirty there.” 31 He said, “Behold, I have undertaken to speak to the Lord. Suppose twenty are found there.” He answered, “For the sake of twenty I will not destroy it.” 32 Then he said, “Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak again but this once. Suppose ten are found there.” He answered, “For the sake of ten I will not destroy it.” 33 And the Lord went his way, when he had finished speaking to Abraham, and Abraham returned to his place.

Gracious God, how marvelous are your deeds! I see You working in lives and know that You alone are sovereign God and hold the power to save  and change hearts. I see You placing people where they need to be carry out Your good will. You do these things so as there is no doubt that You have done it by Your power and might. You give courage when we think we have none, You give peace when we are about to come apart, You give unspeakable joy in the midst of heartache, You give us the need to love the unlovable and know that they just need love and care. Lord, as long as we have breath we will praise You, for You alone are worthy. Amen

Let God Reveal It

Let God reveal it, let grace remove it, let good replace it

Bitterness is always wrong! It does not matter what wrong has been done to you.

Justice....
God giving what we deserve
Grace....
God forgives
Mercy....
God not giving us what we deserve

Pursue peace, forgive one another. When there is a need to forgive someone, forgiveness benefits the person that has been wronged as well as the one who did wrong.

THE GERMINATION OF BITTERNESS

The seed of bitterness is a hurt.
The hurt may be intentional.
The hurt may be unintentional.
The hurt may be imagined.
The hurt may be God’s chastisement.

Hebrews 12:5-11
5 And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons? "My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by him. 6 For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives." 7 It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? 8 If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. 9 Besides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live? 10 For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness. 11 For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.

The soil of bitterness is a heart that harbors hostility.

THE DEVASTATION OF BITTERNESS
Hebrews 12:15
15 See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no "root of bitterness" springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled

The root of bitterness is underground and easy to hide.

Characteristics of a bitter person….
Very sensitive
Has little or no gratitude
Will harshly criticize or vainly flatter
Holds grudges
Mood swings

Hebrews 12:15
15 See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no "root of bitterness" springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled

The fruit of bitterness....
It will affect you physically.
It will affect you emotionally.

Proverbs 15:17
17 Better is a dinner of herbs where love is than a fattened ox and hatred with it.

It will affect you spiritually.

Hebrews 12:14
14 Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord.

Bitterness has a chain reaction.
Ephesians 4:26
26 Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger
Ephesians 4:30-31
30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.
31 Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice.
Bitterness….
Harboring hurt
Wrath….
Bitter and hurt smoldering
Anger….
Outward hurt
Clamor….
Loud speaking

James 3:6
6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell.

Evil speaking….
Speak hateful
Malice….
Desiring to hurt someone


THE ERADICATION OF BITTERNESS

Let God reveal it.

Psalm 139:23-24
23 Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts!
24 And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!

Jeremiah 17:9
9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?

Let grace remove it.

Hebrews 12:15
15 See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no "root of bitterness" springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled

Let good replace it.

Hebrews 12:14
14 Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord.

Ephesians 2:8
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,

Col.3:13
13 bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.


Thanks to Adrian Rogers for this wonderful teaching!

Testimony Of Faith

I speak to you today with a true knowledge that God is sovereign over all!
I have been delivered from sin, it no longer has a hold on me.
No, I am not perfect but Christ promises one day I will truly be like Him.
Be aware as you stand for Christ, you will be persecuted.
Stand strong in your faith, God is able!

Persecution....
1 Peter 5:8

Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.

1 Peter 4:14 
If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you

Philippians 1:29 
For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for him

Matt.5:11

“Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.

Order of holy things....

1 Corinthians 3:23 and you are of Christ, and Christ is of God 

God is able....

Romans 4:21 
being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised.

Through Christ....

Hebrews 7:25

Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.

Glorified....

Philippians 3:21
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 Corinthians 12:27 

Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.

God's power....

1 Peter 2:5

you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

Our living sacrifice....

Romans 12:1 

Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God--this is your spiritual act of worship.

God's people....

1 Corinthians 3:9 

For we are God's fellow workers; you are God's field, God's building.

Our song of praise....

Hebrews 13:15 

Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise--the fruit of lips that confess his name.

To completion....

1 Corinthians 15:28

When all things are subjected to him, then the Son himself will also be subjected to him who put all things in subjection under him, that God may be all in all.

I have never been physically in prison, although I was in a prison of the worst sort, the bondage of a sinful life. I was deep in all that, that life entails, drinking, cussing, spiritual darkness, thinking only of myself, wanting and having the things of this world. I have been in church my whole life, but it was not until I went to a revival that God called to me with His invitation. An invitation that was bound by blood, through Christ, that covered over my sin for eternity. I don't deserve it but God, rich His mercy and forgiveness, offered, and I ran to the cross! I was a grown woman, with kids and a husband, but before that, my whole life, sitting in church, I did not really hear God's sweet gospel message. But God was preparing me to hear, really hear and understand that I could do nothing to bring about salvation. But, there was a Redeemer, who paid that price and gave freely as a gift to all who would receive that gift of eternal life. I am still a work in progress, God still is teaching, I am still learning but I am also teaching as God gives me His wisdom to share the gospel.

Lord, as I pray and teach today, let the power of Your Word reach those ears that have been deaf. Open their hearts to the all encompassing power that is You. Lord, thank You for Your mercy. Amen

The Groaning of Prayer

How to pray....
Pray to God through Jesus in the indwelling Holy Spirit!

John 17:1-8

1 When Jesus had spoken these words, he lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, "Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you, 
2 since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. 
3 And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. 
4 I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do. 
5 And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed. 
6 "I have manifested your name to the people whom you gave me out of the world. Yours they were, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. 
7 Now they know that everything that you have given me is from you. 
8 For I have given them the words that you gave me, and they have received them and have come to know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me.


Romans 8:9-11

9 You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. 
10 But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. 
11 If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.

Romans 8:14-17

14 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. 
15 For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, "Abba! Father!" 
16 The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 
17 and if children, then heirs--heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.



Romans 8:22-26

22 For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. 
23 And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. 
24 For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? 
25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience. 
26 Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words


Ephesians 2:18-22

18 For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. 
19 So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, 
20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, 
21 in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. 
22 In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit. 

Romans 8:27-30

27 And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. 

28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. 

29 For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 

30 And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.

God's everlasting love....

Romans 8:31-39

31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 
32 He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? 
33 Who shall bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. 
34 Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died--more than that, who was raised--who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. 
35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? 
36 As it is written, "For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered." 
37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 
38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 
39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.


When it hurts so bad you can't get the words of prayer out, the groans of your soul are known by the Spirit.
Prayer is to help make us more like Jesus.
Prayer should make you dependent on Jesus!
Christ is our mediator!
Christ intercedes for us!

Father God, we wait! Through persecution, through trials, through distress, through danger, we wait upon the Lord! We know without a shadow of doubt, Your Word is truth! While we are here, we are prone to fall into sin, Lord forgive us! When we have lost our way, when we forget to give You praise, when we dishonor You, You show mercy to us! Lord, we really can not grasp who You are, we really can not understand the depth of Your love and we really deserve Your judgement, but You show mercy! Amen

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