The Lord is faithful

But the Lord is faithful, who shall stablish you, and keep you from evil. 2 Thessalonians 3:3 KJV https://bible.com/bible/1/2th.3.3.KJV

God is there in time and on time

Some of the attributes of time:

Time moves without legs.

Time only moves in one direction.

Time moves without regard to religion or creed.

Time seems to slow down with anticipation and speed up with our dread of an outcome or our age.

Time will never stop.

God’s promises are always on time and they are never late or early.

Psalm 46: 1-3 says: 1 …God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.

2 Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea;

3 Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof.

God is as near to each of us as our next breath so regardless of the trouble we may be facing, He is there to strengthen us and comfort us in times of trouble. During the past few weeks, we have seen a lot of trouble in our nation and in the world itself. Racial tension has been drawn as tight as a bowstring and it seems to be near the breaking point.

Our people need to be drawing closer to God during this time but it seems that most of the people on the streets and in the news are more interested in pushing God away. This is really nothing new. God has been pushed to the edge of our collective conscience in America and in most other countries as well and it began during the early ’70s or late sixties. Once the people began to move away from Him, it has been very hard to get it to stop or reverse.

Numerous evangelists have preached to those who would listen and some did but the majority didn’t take their message about Jesus and His love for us to heart. I pray that there will be a revival in America and around the world but it seems that the part of the world that does not revere God or Jesus as their Messiah is just not interested. They seem to be inviting as much violence into the world as possible. That is not going to prompt God to send Jesus or the Tribulation any sooner than He has it planned for.

Violence and uprising, looting, and burning will do nothing for their “cause” except to draw the news crews out in force…which is what they want. The truth is not part of their narrative. Yet, they want any reference to ANY historical event from 140 years ago stricken from the public square or from TV or movies. Any reference to a figure which had anything to do with the Civil War regardless of their view on slavery should be taken down or destroyed.

Slavery was never sanctioned by the Bible and God never intended for us to enslave people but people are still being sold into slavery today. Particularly children. We, as a society, need to become more social with each other across racial barriers. In the culture that we live in today, it will be hard to do because of the hate and mistrust that is being spread on the Internet and in the news but it needs to be done!

When parents and grandparents teach their children that they are different from the other children it sends the wrong message. Yes, we have different skin colors and tones but we don’t have to hate each other because of that. Did history record that there were some really terrible things done to people in the past just because of their skin color? Yes, but if we change our view of each other today we can be an instigator of change in that area as well. But we need to look at each other not as black or brown or white or any other shade of color but as people who are made in God’s image.

God listens

Many times we think that He doesn’t hear our prayers and that He doesn’t care but God has loved each of us since long before we were born. He hears your prayers, then if you will be quiet, you will hear Him speak to you and as long as you have faith in Him that doesn’t waver at all…He will take care of all your needs.

He has always heard your prayers, even when you didn’t believe in Him but He couldn’t act on them until you gave your heart to Him. Once you prayed that prayer then you became His child. A real Father takes care of His children’s needs to the best of His or his ability. In God’s case He is able to take care of all your needs regardless of what they may be.

Love cannot be defeated!

So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love. 1 Corinthians 13:13 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/1co.13.13.ESV

In Him we lack nothing

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. Psalms 23:1‭-‬2 KJV https://bible.com/bible/1/psa.23.1-2.KJV

His promise of forgiveness

1 John 1:9: If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

The promise which we see illustrated in this passage has a condition attached to it of “If we confess our sins…”. Why would that be there? Mainly because of our need to be convicted of being a sinner and needing forgiveness. If we don’t think or feel that we need to be forgiven of our sins, whatever they may be, then we won’t seek the One Who can forgive them. Jesus Christ came and died to pay the penalty of our debt for our sins and it is only by having faith in Him for salvation that we will realize that we need Him and the forgiveness that is offered.

It seems that many people believe that they can come to Jesus any time they feel like it and everything will work out in the end. But until the Holy Spirit touches your heart and convicts you of your sinful nature, showing you that you truly do need Jesus, you won’t seek Him out because as far as you are concerned there is no need. It is our decision to turn away from our old way of living and to seek to follow Jesus but without being convinced of our need for salvation by the Spirit not one of us would ever go down that pathway. God knows which people will make that life-giving decision to follow Jesus and which ones will not but He doesn’t force this decision on anyone.

Walking with Jesus on a daily basis is not for the faint of heart. Satan and his demons will attack you with all sorts of temptations and they know exactly which buttons to push to get your attention. They will do this at night and during the daytime and when you see something you like or want and you know you shouldn’t get it. This is not a one-time temptation, it is ongoing. This is what Jesus meant when He said to “take up your cross and follow Me”. It is a daily fight which you will be living with but you won’t be alone. The Holy Spirit will be there with you every step of the way.

The best way that I can do this, and I am not successful at it all the time, is to wake up thanking God for today and everything it will bring. Be in the spirit of prayerful thankfulness during your day. If you feel a cool breeze thank Him for it. If you find a parking place that is convenient for you, thank Him for it. You get the idea. Every good and pleasant thing which comes your way during the day, no matter what it may be, thank Him for it!

Life is much easier when you do this but it is a way of life that has to be practiced. It doesn’t come naturally for us. We wouldn’t think of any of these little blessings at all if we weren’t saved through the blood of Jesus. When we were our natural selves being thankful probably didn’t come to mind unless our parents or grandparents taught us that while we were growing up. Even when they taught us this way, as my parents did, I still questioned why? What is the point of thanking God for something that I did?

The problem is that until we realize that He is in control whether we see Him or believe in Him or not we will continue to think that we did it. When it is God Who has given us the ability and the thoughts and knowledge to do what we do every single day! Seek Him and His Kingdom through Jesus Christ and every good blessing will be yours. That doesn’t mean that God will drop a block of gold in your yard but your strength will be renewed every morning, your day will be more like a pleasant walk than a grind to get through so do this every day, one day at a time until you are called home to be with Him.

Jesus died to save you!

He died and rose from the grave three days later to pay your debt for your sins. He did this because He loves each of us. Not because of your skin color or how much money you make or where you live but because He loves you!

The whole world needs to know Him as their Savior and Lord, not just America or any single country but everyone in the entire world! Seek Him out to be your Savior and Lord because it won’t be long before He comes for His Bride, the church, and if you are His you will be part of the church. Don’t wait because none of us are guaranteed even tonight to be alive.

The love of God is healing

And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins. 1 Peter 4:8 KJV https://bible.com/bible/1/1pe.4.8.KJV

God’s Promises

God has given us many things and many promises in His Word and yet many people who claim to be saved through their belief in Jesus ignore them or don’t believe that He will deliver on them. God is not like we are. He doesn’t lie because if He did He would not be God. This message is for those of us who have given our hearts and our life to God through Jesus His Son. If you have not done so, then these promises don’t apply to you until you do.

The first promise that I’ll begin with is this:

Romans 5:6-11

Christ’s Sacrifice for the Ungodly

(Genesis 22:1-10; John 3:16-21)

6 For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. 8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. 10 For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. 11 And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement.

Jesus came to Earth as a baby, born of a virgin in Bethlehem, of parents whose lineage could be traced back to King David of the tribe of Judah. All of these were foretold years before He came and He fulfilled all of these prophecies and more. The people who choose not to believe God’s Word or even any part of it have no claim on even this first promise. The promise that you, as a believer, are a child of God. You have been adopted into the family of God through your belief in Jesus as your Savior.

This is God’s promise and it doesn’t matter if you believe in man’s doctrine of once saved you are always saved or if you believe that you can lose your salvation. God’s promise stands regardless of your belief in man’s doctrine because it is His promise and that settles it. As long as you believe in Jesus as your Savior in your heart and you live your life in accordance with your belief, then you truly are His child.

This promise is from God’s Word and it applies to each of us who are His. During these troubled times in which we are living, we need to lean on our Lord for His strength and guidance because without it we are lost. Our faith in Him should bring hope to those around us and yet we see every day the despair and hopelessness in the world. Those who have no hope cling to what they know and most of that is fear and anger and revenge for anything that is happening to them. Even if it is a virus that mankind has not caused but it brings fear into their lives and then other men bring hatred and murder to people only because of the color of their skin. Fear stirs up hatred and hatred lights a fire that won’t be put out easily.

Can the church and the believers who make up the church have any influence in this troubled world? Yes but only by living our lives daily so others can see Jesus in what we are saying and doing. If we live our lives as if we aren’t the church and like those who don’t believe in Him then we shouldn’t claim to be His at all. Yes we were sinners and we still are sinners but as Christians, we are forgiven and we need to live like it. Don’t leave your “Christianity” at the church building on Sunday. Your life was supposed to change when Jesus came into your heart so live your life as a changed Christian who can be seen as a Christian and not labeled as a hypocrite.

When you accepted Jesus as your Savior you were adopted into the family of God. The Holy Spirit came to dwell within your heart to teach you about Jesus and about your life in Christ, so act like you received the most precious gift of all instead of a burden or something that you never wanted to begin with. The gift which each of us has been given through belief in Jesus for our salvation is worth more than all of the wealth in the whole world because we have a home with Him in eternity. This life doesn’t matter except for what we can give to others by our faith in Him. Any gift which has no beginning in Jesus Christ means nothing.