Holy, Holy, Holy is the LORD of Hosts

Isaiah 6
1 In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of his robe filled the temple.
2 Above him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew.
3 And one called to another and said: "Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!"
4 And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke.
5 And I said: "Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!"
6 Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a burning coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar.
7 And he touched my mouth and said: "Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for."
8 And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?" Then I said, "Here am I! Send me."
9 And he said, "Go, and say to this people: "'Keep on hearing, but do not understand; keep on seeing, but do not perceive.'
10 Make the heart of this people dull, and their ears heavy, and blind their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed."
11 Then I said, "How long, O Lord?" And he said: "Until cities lie waste without inhabitant, and houses without people, and the land is a desolate waste,
12 and the LORD removes people far away, and the forsaken places are many in the midst of the land.
13 And though a tenth remain in it, it will be burned again, like a terebinth or an oak, whose stump remains when it is felled." The holy seed is its stump.

John 1:18
18 No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father's side,he has made him known. 

Matthew 28:3
3 His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow.

Rev.4:8
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!" 

Luke 5:8
8 But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, "Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord."

1 Tim. 6:16
16 who alone has immortality, who dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see. To him be honor and eternal dominion. Amen. 

Do we really ever consider the holiness of God?
We question God at every turn, we the clay, He the potter, without God, man would not exist!!!
We are every bit the people with unclean lips, unclean hearts, wicked motives and endless wants!!


John 12:37-43
37 Though he had done so many signs before them, they still did not believe in him, 
38 so that the word spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled: "Lord, who has believed what he heard from us, and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?" 
39 Therefore they could not believe. For again Isaiah said, 
40 "He has blinded their eyes and hardened their heart, lest they see with their eyes, and understand with their heart, and turn, and I would heal them." 
41 Isaiah said these things because he saw his glory and spoke of him. 
42 Nevertheless, many even of the authorities believed in him, but for fear of the Pharisees they did not confess it, so that they would not be put out of the synagogue; 
43 for they loved the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God. 

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." 

Acts 28:24-28
24 And some were convinced by what he said, but others disbelieved. 
25 And disagreeing among themselves, they departed after Paul had made one statement: "The Holy Spirit was right in saying to your fathers through Isaiah the prophet: 
26 "'Go to this people, and say, You will indeed hear but never understand, and you will indeed see but never perceive. 
27 For this people's heart has grown dull, and with their ears they can barely hear, and their eyes they have closed; lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their heart and turn, and I would heal them.' 
28 Therefore let it be known to you that this salvation of God has been sent to the Gentiles; they will listen." 

Jer.10:10-18
10 But the LORD is the true God; he is the living God and the everlasting King. At his wrath the earth quakes, and the nations cannot endure his indignation. 
11 Thus shall you say to them: "The gods who did not make the heavens and the earth shall perish from the earth and from under the heavens." 
12 It is he who made the earth by his power, who established the world by his wisdom, and by his understanding stretched out the heavens. 
13 When he utters his voice, there is a tumult of waters in the heavens, and he makes the mist rise from the ends of the earth. He makes lightning for the rain, and he brings forth the wind from his storehouses. 
14 Every man is stupid and without knowledge; every goldsmith is put to shame by his idols, for his images are false, and there is no breath in them. 
15 They are worthless, a work of delusion; at the time of their punishment they shall perish. 
16 Not like these is he who is the portion of Jacob, for he is the one who formed all things, and Israel is the tribe of his inheritance; the LORD of hosts is his name. 
17 Gather up your bundle from the ground, O you who dwell under siege! 
18 For thus says the LORD: "Behold, I am slinging out the inhabitants of the land at this time, and I will bring distress on them, that they may feel it." 

Ponder these words as you pray to a holy God, maker of all things and the one who will be your judge!!!

Lord, I have not the words to praise You! My hearts aches for the sinful and wicked things I say or think. Forgive me Lord, a person with an unclean heart and a soul who longs to know You more. Sear my heart and mind with the hot coals of Your word. Amen

The Lord Alone Is God

Deut.4:32-40
32 "For ask now of the days that are past, which were before you, since the day that God created man on the earth, and ask from one end of heaven to the other, whether such a great thing as this has ever happened or was ever heard of.
33 Did any people ever hear the voice of a god speaking out of the midst of the fire, as you have heard, and still live?
34 Or has any god ever attempted to go and take a nation for himself from the midst of another nation, by trials, by signs, by wonders, and by war, by a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, and by great deeds of terror, all of which the LORD your God did for you in Egypt before your eyes?
35 To you it was shown, that you might know that the LORD is God; there is no other besides him.
36 Out of heaven he let you hear his voice, that he might discipline you. And on earth he let you see his great fire, and you heard his words out of the midst of the fire.
37 And because he loved your fathers and chose their offspring after them and brought you out of Egypt with his own presence, by his great power,
38 driving out before you nations greater and mightier than yourselves, to bring you in, to give you their land for an inheritance, as it is this day,
39 know therefore today, and lay it to your heart, that the LORD is God in heaven above and on the earth beneath; there is no other.
40 Therefore you shall keep his statutes and his commandments, which I command you today, that it may go well with you and with your children after you, and that you may prolong your days in the land that the LORD your God is giving you for all time."

Mark 12:32 
"Well said, teacher," the man replied. "You are right in saying that God is one and there is no other but him.

1 Corinthians 8:4 
So then, about eating food sacrificed to idols: We know that "An idol is nothing at all in the world" and that "There is no God but one."

1 Corinthians 8:6 
yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we live; and there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we live.

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

The Keeper

Ps.121:2
My help comes from the Lord who made heaven and earth! 

Bold verse and what does it mean?
Our confidence is in the Lord alone, man fails!
God alone is able to bring to completion all His will!!
He alone is the eternal preserver of man's soul!

Ps.121:

1 I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? 
2 My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth. 
3 He will not let your foot be moved; he who keeps you will not slumber. 
4 Behold, he who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. 
5 The LORD is your keeper; the LORD is your shade on your right hand. 
6 The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night. 
7 The LORD will keep you from all evil; he will keep your life. 
8 The LORD will keep your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forevermore.

Jude 1:24
Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy

Eph.3:20

Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us,

The Urgency of Eternity

What would you say if I asked you this question?
Where will you spend eternity?
Would you stammer and tell me to get lost, would you say, well I never really thought about it or would you say, there is no heaven or hell, when you die, that's all there is!
Well, before you answer, let me tell you this, your eternity answer depends on your response to Jesus!

2 Thessalonians 1:8-9

8 in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. 
9 They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might,

Hell is a real place reserved for those who deny Christ!
It is a place of....
continual rebellion
final separation
eternal duration

Heaven is a place prepared for those who trust Christ for salvation.
It is a place of....
full reconciliation
complete resurrection
ultimate reunion

Phil.3:20
20 But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ

Will you turn from Christ or will you trust Christ?

John 3:16
16 "For God so loved the world,that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

You can live without Christ now and die without Christ forever
                                       OR
You can die with Christ now and live with Christ forever

In sharing the gospel, speak about these things!

Things that pass away.... Temporal
Jobs, possessions, lust, etc

Things that never pass away.... Eternal
Following Christ and His commands

Tell the lost about hell, speaking with humble confidence about God's character, about having a healthy fear of God's judgement and with honest compassion about God's wrath.

Share about heaven with the lost by giving the honest truth that Christians are sojourners here and our home is with God.
Christ is coming again!
We only have hope and salvation through Christ and His Resurrection and we humbly wait for His return.
Speak the gospel with clear and plain words, teaching about turning from sin to Christ and putting your trust in Him alone for salvation.
Let the Holy Spirit work, giving then time to be alone with God and His word.

Make disciples.....


Matthew 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."


Thanks pastor!

Utter Despair

To the lost and grieving....

1 Peter 5:6-7
6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, 
7 casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.

Psalm 90:12 Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom


As I struggle with grieving the loss of my brother, I am reminded of sinners who struggle with being lost.
They mistakenly think the things of this world will give them joy!
They are searching for something to make them happy, to give them peace and to take away the pain of despair.
For me and countless other Christ followers, these things are found in the Lord, peace, happiness with what you have been given and the value of suffering and what it produces in you when you are humble!
When you are separate from God, you will have no lasting peace, no joy, no contentment and no understanding of patience working with suffering to produce perseverance.
But by these things, suffering, strife, no peace, we will driven to God!
Sheer joy to know the full pardon which was brought by Christ alone and freely given to all who will believe and obey!
To understand what this knowledge means and the undeserved  joy we have been given by a precious Savior!
When you share the gospel with someone and they push you away, just know that God uses every word for His purpose.
He will weave those threads into a miracle you may or may not see.
When you are ridiculed because of the gospel, count it as joy for the Lord knows your heart!

The promise....
Hebrews 6:19 
We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain,

Psalm 119:116 
Sustain me according to your promise, and I will live; do not let my hopes be dashed.

1 Peter 5:12-14
12 Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. 
13 But rejoice insofar as you share Christ's sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. 
14 If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you


Romans 5:1-6
1 Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. 
2 Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 
3 More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 
4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, 
5 and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. 
6 For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.

I can only speak from God's word, knowing that it is truth! You will be tested by various trials, and God alone will deliver you! Some test will be short, some long, others will bring you to your knees! Stand firm in the Lord!

Lord God Almighty, we stand firm in the knowledge of who You are! Full well knowing that You alone are good! You alone are sovereign Creator and King and You never change! Amen

Eyes of the Dead

I have seen many people dead at the funeral home, all pasty white, eyes shut as if they are sleeping, but you can tell it’s not a normal sleep!
Recently, we had the privilege of taking care of my brother who was dying of cancer.
He was a Christian but still had many questions about his impending death, about eternity and about how we only have our faith in Christ's mercy for salvation!
It's hard to watch a loved one die, knowing there is nothing you can do.
My brother died Tuesday the 18th.
In the few days before his death, I had noticed that he had started fixing his eyes on something unseen, staring but not seeing, and that his eyes had begun to get a vacant look.
The day he died, you could look into his eyes and tell his soul had left, there was no life in them, no spark, no remembrance, just nothing!
He had gone into eternity!
This puff of life we have is but a vapor!!
God's design is for the soul to be eternal!
As my brother was leaving this earth, he shouted hallelujah!!
With his last breath he was praising God!
To be able to glorify His name as you go to the heavenly realm to finally see Him face to face is joy unspeakable!
I miss my brother so much, I grieve at the loss of him but I would not want him back here, he's at home now!

Ps.89:48
What man can live and never see death? Who can deliver his soul from the power of Sheol? Selah




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.

Job 14:10 But a man dies and is laid low; man breathes his last, and where is he? 

Job 30:23

For I know that you will bring me to death and to the house appointed for all living

Our hope....

Job 19:25-26
25 For I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last he will stand upon the earth. 
26 And after my skin has been thus destroyed, yet in my flesh I shall see God,

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

Acts 17:31 
For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to all men by raising him from the dead."

We are....
Colossians 2:12 
having been buried with him in baptism and raised with him through your faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead


God has total control over death! He has given our Savior Jesus Christ dominion over death and it will be utterly destroyed!

Ezekiel 37:1-14

1 The hand of the LORD was upon me, and he brought me out in the Spirit of the LORD and set me down in the middle of the valley; it was full of bones. 
2 And he led me around among them, and behold, there were very many on the surface of the valley, and behold, they were very dry. 
3 And he said to me, "Son of man, can these bones live?" And I answered, "O Lord GOD, you know." 
4 Then he said to me, "Prophesy over these bones, and say to them, O dry bones, hear the word of the LORD. 
5 Thus says the Lord GOD to these bones: Behold, I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live. 
6 And I will lay sinews upon you, and will cause flesh to come upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and you shall live, and you shall know that I am the LORD." 
7 So I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I prophesied, there was a sound, and behold, a rattling, and the bones came together, bone to its bone. 
8 And I looked, and behold, there were sinews on them, and flesh had come upon them, and skin had covered them. But there was no breath in them. 
9 Then he said to me, "Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath, Thus says the Lord GOD: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they may live." 
10 So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived and stood on their feet, an exceedingly great army. 
11 Then he said to me, "Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. Behold, they say, 'Our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost; we are indeed cut off.' 
12 Therefore prophesy, and say to them, Thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I will open your graves and raise you from your graves, O my people. And I will bring you into the land of Israel. 
13 And you shall know that I am the LORD, when I open your graves, and raise you from your graves, O my people. 
14 And I will put my Spirit within you, and you shall live, and I will place you in your own land. Then you shall know that I am the LORD; I have spoken, and I will do it, declares the LORD."

Rev.1:17-18

17 When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he laid his right hand on me, saying, "Fear not, I am the first and the last, 
18 and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades.



Praise be to God for our glorious gift of Christ the Redeemer!!! Amen

A Drink Offering Before the Lord

Numbers 28:7
7 Its drink offering shall be a quarter of a hin for each lamb. In the Holy Place you shall pour out a drink offering of strong drink to the LORD.

Ephesians 5:2
2 And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

The Israelite people, God's chosen ones, made appointed sacrifices, some burnt offerings and some poured out before the Lord God, to atone for sin. But God in His mercy sent a spotless Lamb to atone once and for all time. This Lamb, who knew no sin, took all sin on Himself, to satisfy the wrath of God toward us.

Is.53:3-11

3 He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. 
4 Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. 
5 But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his stripes we are healed. 
6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned--every one--to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all. 
7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth. 
8 By oppression and judgment he was taken away; and as for his generation, who considered that he was cut off out of the land of the living, stricken for the transgression of my people? 
9 And they made his grave with the wicked and with a rich man in his death, although he had done no violence, and there was no deceit in his mouth. 
10 Yet it was the will of the LORD to crush him; he has put him to grief; when his soul makes an offering for guilt, he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days; the will of the LORD shall prosper in his hand. 
11 Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied; by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities.

If these words do not speak to your heart, there is something so wrong in your spirit.
Such a great debt is owed to our Savior, by me and by you. Because of that debt we must tell the world about Christ and His precious gospel of hope.

Ps.116:4-14

4 Then I called on the name of the LORD: "O LORD, I pray, deliver my soul!" 
5 Gracious is the LORD, and righteous; our God is merciful. 
6 The LORD preserves the simple; when I was brought low, he saved me. 
7 Return, O my soul, to your rest; for the LORD has dealt bountifully with you. 
8 For you have delivered my soul from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling; 
9 I will walk before the LORD in the land of the living. 
10 I believed, even when I spoke, "I am greatly afflicted"; 
11 I said in my alarm, "All mankind are liars." 
12 What shall I render to the LORD for all his benefits to me? 
13 I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the LORD, 
14 I will pay my vows to the LORD in the presence of all his people. 

Lord, we praise You. Help us teach the world what a gift Your salvation brings to all who will bow and except. Amen