How to Avoid Deception

 

Intro: No one is exempt from being tempted and deceived.  Christians who are not prepared are being swept into the streams of deception that are being spewed out by many different voices.  Many believers are filled with fear and worry.  They are following deceptive spirits and teachings that come from demons. (1Timothy 4:1) Here are 4 keys you can use to avoid falling into the trap of the enemy;

1. Be Alert and Watchful. 1 Peter 5:8 tells us, “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour”. 1 Corinthians 16:13 says, “Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong”. Romans 13:11, “And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now, our salvation is nearer than when we first believed.”  And Jesus encouraged us to, “Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” (Matthew 26:41) In other words, as followers of Christ we need to wake up and be on guard.  Too many of us have become apathetic and complacent.  We are asleep. It’s time to wake up and be aware of what is going on around us and sensitive to what spirit is at work.  We need to be aware of the tactics and devices of the enemy, so we are not out witted and become a victim of deception.  (2Corithians 2:11)

2. Know the Word of God and Do the Word of God. You must know God’s word. You will be susceptible to being deceived if you do not know what God has said. The Word is the plum line.   It establishes true north in our life.  Jesus said, “Man is not to live on bread only. Man is to live by every word that God speaks” (Mt 4:4).  We must feed upon God’s word every day – read it, meditate upon it, speak it, hear it. Then, we must do what God’s word says to do not be just hearers only.  James makes this very clear, “But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.”  (James 1:22) So, stay immersed in the word and walk in all the light God gives you, and you won’t have to worry about being deceived.

3. Guard your heart. Deception usually begins in the heart as a result of honoring one’s personal will above the will of God. The will of man by nature does not love the truth.  Proverbs 4:23 says, “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” Even those who are religiously minded can have their hearts deceived (Jas. 1:26).  The heart can be polluted by pride, greed, apathy, unforgiveness, and offense.  These are all breeding grounds of deception. Not only can the devil deceive us, but others can deceive us, and we can be self-deceived – if, we don’t guard our hearts.

4. Stay in right relationship. God created us for relationship.  Relationship with Him and relationship with others.  It starts with our relationship with the Lord.  You will not be deceived if you commune with the Lord, pray, and worship Him.  You will remain sensitive to His voice and the leading of the spirit. Then, we need to be in right relationship with other believers.   We need each other.  “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.”  (Proverbs 27:17)   Fellowship provides encouragement and strength.   We need people in our life to hold us accountable and to help us grow. One of the biggest traps and dangers for deception is going it alone.  When a believer becomes isolated, separated from God and others they become an easy target for deception. This is what church is all about; fellowship with other believers!

Invitation: If you have never asked Jesus to forgive your sins, you are being deceived by the devil because without a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, you will be eternally lost in hell. God wants you to spend eternity with Him and has provide the way to heaven through Jesus Christ His Holy Son. Ask Jesus to forgive you and save you from hell. Invite Him into your life right now if you have never done that before its eternally to late! Then you will spend eternity with God and His Son Jesus!

How God Feels About You!

 

Intro: A sad reality is that many believers don’t actually know how the Father feels about them. We imagine that God responds to us the way that we would respond to us. Zephaniah 3:17 tells us exactly how God feels about Israel and all of His children. Zephaniah 3:17 (NKJV) The Lord your God in your midst, The Mighty One, will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing.”

I. The Lord is in your midst. God is in our midst right now as we meet. When we leave here God will go with us wherever we go. He is in the midst of the political situation. He is your God; yours in covenant. We Christians have a covenant with God Almighty through the broken body and shed blood of Jesus Christ. He Is the mighty One who will save. He can do all that is required for our benefit. He can restrain and destroy enemies, can support and defend his own people. He can save you and I from our fears, worries, doubts and the rage of those who come against us.

II. The Lord rejoices over you with gladness. The word rejoice means God experiences glad joy over you His child. Too many Christians either are ignorant of this fact or reject what God says about them. Just think of God rejoicing over you. He knew all about you before you were ever born and He still rejoices over you despite all your failures. His love is not earned. His joy over you is not dependent on your works. He rejoices over you because Jesus made you His and He sees the future for you. Your future includes an eternity in heaven with Him. Quit listening to people and the devil.

III. The Lord will quiet you with His love. Are you troubled in your soul over a circumstance in your life? Allow God to quiet your soul. Let God renew his love for you each day. He will show the same love to you that he did of old to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and the Israelite's. When things aren't going right and you are in the midst of a storm, He will gently quiet you with His love. By His Spirit He will speak peace in your heart. He will let you know how much He understands what you are going through and He will assure you He is present to help in the midst of your situation. Psalm 46:1-3 (NKJV) ¹  God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble. ²  Therefore we will not fear.

IV. The Lord rejoices over you with singing. When God looks at you He breaks out into singing. There is a great joy in God's heart towards His people, and so He expresses it; He rejoices with joy, and expresses it with singing; which shows how delighted He is with His people. We are His chosen, redeemed, and called ones; as we have God's own righteousness upon us, and His own grace in us because of what Jesus did for us. We are His in whom He delights; His "Bride" to whom He is married; and it is His love of satisfaction and delight, which is the source of all the grace and glory He bestows upon us. Not only does God sing, but you are the object of His song, simply because you are His redeemed child. His love for you causes Him to sing, not because of who you are or what you have done, but because of what Jesus did for you on the cross, that has brought you together into a mutual relationship of love with Him and the Father God. Imagine the river of God’s love, compassion, mercy and grace that streams toward you expressed through His singing voice right now.

Invitation: For God to look upon you with favor, you must know Jesus as your personal Savior and Lord. You simply confess your sins to Jesus and ask Him to forgive you and then invite Him into your life to lead, guide and direct you by His Spirit. Then the Father God will rejoice over you.

Don’t Be Deceived!

 

Intro: We need to pay close attention to what is being said and taught as truth today, in the media, our government and churches. We need to be ready for the deception going on now and that which is to come in the future. God does not want us to be deceived so He warns us in His word.

I. The bible warns there will be much deception in the last days. 1 Timothy 4:1-2 (NKJV) ¹ Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, ² speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron, The bible warns that there will be many false prophets in the last days. 1 John 4:1 (NKJV) Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world.

II. Satan’s goal is to deceive the whole world. Satan is brilliantly clever at taking age-old lies, disguising them as realities, and gradually introducing them to even those churches who insist that they believe in the infallible authority of the Bible. Revelation 12:9 speaks of, " that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceives the whole world." To deceive means to lead astray. Devil tries to lead astray by contradicting and twisting the word of God to say something other than what is true as he did Eve. The Lord put this and similar verses in his Word to warn us of a reality of world history: Global deception. Even those who profess to be Evangelical Christians are susceptible to the Serpent's lie. We already are and will continue to be exposed to deception about the intentions of other religions that are trying to establish a one world religion. There is deception by our government leaders about their intentions for a new world order to get control of the people.

III. Some examples of Satan’s deception. Ephesians 2:8-9 (NKJV) ⁸  For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, ⁹  not of works, lest anyone should boast. Satan deceives people by the teaching of salvation by works instead of God’s grace. The bible tells us in Ephesians 2:8-9 the true way of salvation. What all the world’s religions and philosophies have in common is a form of self-righteousness that teaches salvation by works, that you earn salvation by what you do. They deny the Biblical Jesus and salvation by grace through faith in Him which is not of works lest any should boast. Jesus prayed to the Father that if there was any other way for mankind to be saved remove this cup from me. Jesus would not have had to go to the cross if there was any other way. Satan's is infiltrating the church with error through pastors and false teachers. Not only is Satan the "Father of lies," but he is also the "Author of confusion." It is getting harder and harder to tell the difference between the world views and the liberal church. The message and the priorities of the Church are becoming just like the World. There are books that teach on many different religions, philosophies and ideas. Beware of what you read and fill your mind with! Remember books written by mankind cannot replace the gospel. Only the gospel is error free. Christians are being deceived more and more with religious groups and movements which teach a mixture of beliefs and compromise of God's truth and priorities. The different religions are uniting for the purpose of solving the problems that create differences of religion in the world, thus one world religion. They do this in the name of God and peace. The only one world religion that will work is when Jesus returns and sets up His kingdom on this earth. The bible warns in; 2 Corinthians 6:14-15 (NLT) ¹⁴ Don’t team up with those who are unbelievers. How can righteousness be a partner with wickedness? How can light live with darkness? ¹⁵ What harmony can there be between Christ and the devil? How can a believer be a partner with an unbeliever? Any religion that denies Jesus as God and Savior of the world is anti-Christ, evil and deceptive. It is of the devil. There is no harmony between Christ and the devil.

IV. The solution for avoiding deception is the Holy word of God. Christians are much more likely, these days, to not read their Bible for their convictions and world- view, but instead they follow the opinions of leaders they look up to. Celebrity preachers and some T.V. Ministers are likely to draw our attention and our allegiance. In these last days we cannot afford to follow human leaders as if they were experts; no matter who they are. We are to be disciples of Jesus and follow him alone. So how can we be sure we are not being deceived? The only way we will be able to spot deception is by having encounters with the truth. Knowledge of the truth exposes lies. Our only hope to not be deceived in these last days is to "abide in Jesus and His words"; according to John 15:7 We must surrender our hearts moment by moment to the Holy Spirit. We need to be like those in Acts 17:11 (NKJV) They searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so. We should read our bibles every day if possible. That's the only way we will be able to spot deception is by having regular encounters with the truth of God’s word. When we read the bible John 8:32 says “You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free."

Invitation: Do not be deceived about your salvation. Romans 3:23 says “All have sinned and fallen short of God's glory.” Romans 6:23 says “The wages of our sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life, In Christ Jesus our Lord.” Be sure you have confessed your sins to Jesus and asked Him to forgive you so you can receive the gift of eternal life. Then invite Him into your heart to take charge of your life. Be baptized in His name to show you are sincere.

Thoughts for the New Year

 

Intro: Since we have just entered the New Year; here are some thoughts from God's word we might want to remember so we can have a joyful and blessed year. God has some good advice for us, and we would be wise to heed what He has to say.

I. Forget the Past. Philippians 3:13–14 (NKJV) ¹³Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, ¹⁴I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

a. Like Paul, we should be focusing on one goal: forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead. Our past sins should not be used as a barrier to the future, as an excuse for dropping out, or for avoiding a closeness in our relationship with God. We must repent of past and present sins. 1 John 1:9 (NKJV) If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Even the good we have done is past and we cannot hold on to that. We as Christians must forget the past, the good and bad things and press on toward the goal of perfection for which Christ saved us. In (Matthew 5:48) Jesus said to be perfect as our Father in Heaven is perfect. Paul did not consider that he had achieved perfection or spiritual maturity; he was not all that he knew he should be, but he lived his life growing in his relationship with God, pressing on toward the goal of ultimate perfection for which Christ died to give him.

II. Remember God is With You. [Rom. 8:29-31 ²⁹ For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. ³⁰ Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified. ³¹ What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?

a. God who knew us in advance before we were born has predetermined us to be like Christ. He has called us by name, He has justified us, given us a right standing before Him and He has given us His glory, the glory of His Spirit within. We have a special relationship with the Lord as His covenant people. In verse 31 God says if we are His people then who can be against us? Because God has created us and called us, justified us and glorified us He will also care for us, He will continue as our Shepherd to guide us. Christ not only died for us but is now at God's right hand constantly pleading for us. Therefore, in difficult times, we should not give up and fear, for God is with us and will protect us and this makes us more than conquerors thru Him that loved us. He assures us that nothing in the heavens above or earth below, can separate us from His love which He has for us in Jesus Christ our Lord. Heb. 13:5 God promises He is always with us and He will never leave us nor forsake us.

III. Hold Fast to Your Faith. [Hebrews 6:13-20 (NLT)] ¹³ For example, there was God’s promise to Abraham. Since there was no one greater to swear by, God took an oath in his own name, saying: ¹⁴ “I will certainly bless you, and I will multiply your descendants beyond number.” ¹⁵ Then Abraham waited patiently, and he received what God had promised.

a. Abraham is our example. In verse 14 God made him a promise and in verse 15 the bible says that after he waited patiently, and he received what God had promised. God had confirmed his promise to Abraham with an oath, and these two things are unchangeable because it is impossible for God to lie. God has promised us Christians His salvation and care for us. He has given His oath that He will provide for us a home in heaven. So we can have the sure hope of security because of the unchanging truth of His promise. It’s impossible for God to lie. Patience is our part whereby we hold on to his promise with confident hope just as Abraham did. We Christians have fled to God for refuge. Christ provides the safest place, the hope we count on, the encouragement we need. We must “hold on to his promise of salvation and blessings,” grasping it, refusing to let go no matter what happens around us. This confidence in God’s word is like a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls, secure and immovable. Not only does this confidence in God’s promises hold us secure, but it leads us through the curtain into God’s inner sanctuary. The inner sanctuary refers to the Most Holy Place in the Jewish Temple where God’s presence was. God’s presence was closed from the people by a curtain. The curtain was torn from top to bottom and the way into God’s presence was opened when Jesus died on the cross as payment for our sins. Because Jesus has provided access to God's presence; Hebrews 4:16 (NKJV)  Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

Invitation: Have you taken advantage of God’s promise to save you from Hell and give you a home in His Kingdom? When you confess your sins against Jesus and ask Him to forgive and save you, God has promised He will give you a home in His Kingdom. If you have not done that, do it right now before it’s eternally too late. Then use this year to draw close to Him as you read His word and communicate with Him in prayer.

“Taking Inventory”

 

Scripture Text

Psalms 26:2 (NKJV)
Examine me, O Lord, and prove me; Try my mind and my heart.

Intro: This time of year all businesses begin to take inventory for the purpose of determining what they accomplished for the past year and from that information, they formulate a plan for the New Year. We Christians need to do the same thing. We take inventory of what we have accomplished spiritually and formulate a plan for 2026.

I. Allow God’s Spirit to examine ~ study you in a very careful way! (v:2) Ask Him to show you where you need to change! God’s purpose for all His people in this life is to conform them to the image of Christ. Romans 8:29 (NKJV) For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Conform means to be in agreement on every point. Is your life being brought into agreement with Christ’s way of doing things? Let God examine and show you the truth. Are you fulfilling the purpose of God in your life? Do you even know your purpose? Romans 12:2 (NLT) Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. Our purpose in life is to constantly be changed into that new person He created us to be. We are changed in our thinking as we pray and read God’s word. We find His will for us. We were created to bring praise, honor and glory to Him while we are in this world.

II. Allow God to prove you through your actions! Prove means to show the character or ability expected of one, especially through one's actions. Are you most like the Father God in your actions or the world? Is your life being shaped more by others’ expectations of you than by God’s priorities? Are some of the things you are doing based on guilt, or a desire for approval or a need to make a good impression? Does God see the motive for your actions based on His will, yours, or someone else’s? Take note each week as to the use of your time. How much time is spent on the things of God? Ask God if any activities you are involved in that may not be on His agenda for you. When your activities have a reason, God’s reason, you can be less affected by the opinions of those who may not understand why you do what you do. God blesses His activities!

III. Allow God to test you in mind and heart! Test means to subject to strain, as of endurance, patience, affliction, trouble; or duty. Proverbs 24:10 (NKJV) If you faint in the day of adversity, Your strength is small. James 1:3 (NKJV) Knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. A lot of people talk the talk of faith, but do not walk the walk of faith when tested. 2 Corinthians 13:5a (NCV) Look closely at yourselves. Test yourselves to see if you are living in the faith. What you and I are seeking in the end is the  freedom to be who God is calling us to be. Philippians 1:20-21 (NLT) ²⁰ For I fully expect and hope that I will never be ashamed, but that I will continue to be bold for Christ, as I have been in the past. And I trust that my life will bring honor to Christ, whether I live or die. ²¹ For to me, living means living for Christ, and dying is even better. This should be the goal for our lives this year of 2026! Not just in theory, but in everyday practice.

Invitation: Will you allow God to examine your heart right now? Allow Him to show you your heart as He sees it. Where do you stand in your relationship with God? Do you even have a relationship with God? If not, ask Jesus to forgive you of your sins and invite Him into your life. If you have a relationship with God, allow God to test your motives and purposes for what you do? Will you take action and look back on what you did last year and see how much it fit God’s plan for your life! Will you rededicate your life to Him right now?

Christmas Celebration

 

I. We Celebrate our Savior's Birth. Luke 2:9-14 (NKJV) ⁹  And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. ¹⁰  Then the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. ¹¹  For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. ¹²  And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger." ¹³  And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: ¹⁴  "Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!" There was 400 years of silence from Heaven between the Old Testament which ended with the book of Malachi and the New Testament beginning in the book of Matthew. We are now no longer under the old covenant of law, but Matthew tells we now have a New Covenant with God through the birth of Jesus Christ. That new covenant is based on the blood of Jesus which He shed on the cross as payment for our sin. Matthew tells us that Now You and I have a Savior. A Savior is one who delivers or rescues one from destruction. The bible says in Romans 3:23 that all mankind has sinned and fallen short of God’s glory. Romans 6:23a (NKJV)  For the wages of sin is death, according to this scripture, The wages of our sin is death, eternal separation from God. But the verse goes on to say Romans 6:23b but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. So we conclude from the previous scripture that all mankind was eternally lost until Jesus came. Jesus came to save us from our sins which had held us in slavery and bondage to the devil. The angels’ message was comforting. The shepherds were told not to be afraid. The message was that “a Savior,” Christ the Lord, was born. This was good news of great joy. Throughout Luke “joy” is often associated with salvation. This news was to be proclaimed to all the people.

II. We Celebrate Jesus as Our Redeemer. He paid the penalty due us for our sins. 1Tim. 2:5-6 ⁵ For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus, ⁶ who gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time. Because of what Jesus did on the cross we can be forgiven our sins against a holy God. Not only do we celebrate His birth, but we also remember His death and His soon return, because it was not only His birth, but it was also by His death & resurrection that our salvation was made complete. No matter what sin we have committed we can be forgiven if we repent and ask for forgiveness and turn from our sinful ways. 2 Corinthians 5:21 For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. Colossians 2:14 says Jesus has wiped out the handwriting of requirements [10 commandments] that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. O what great news the angel brought that night. What a truly Holy Night when Christ was born! We no longer have to carry the burden of the penalty for our sins, we are forgiven in Christ. This is good news of great joy to all people.

III. WE PRAISE GOD FOR THE GIFT OF HIS SON. [Luke 2:13-14]
¹³ And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: ¹⁴ "Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, toward men of goodwill!" Praise means the act of expressing approval, admiration or commendation. Since there were no people to praise God He opened the mouths of the angels and they began to praise God saying ^“Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, toward men of goodwill!" We can learn a great lesson about praise from the angels and tonight we praise God for His wonderful gift of salvation for all mankind. We Praise Him for the love, mercy, grace, salvation, and eternal security He revealed to us thru His Son Jesus whom we worship.

Invitation: If you don't know Jesus as your Savior and Lord, now is the time to confess your sins to Him and ask Jesus to forgive you of those sins and invite Him into your life to save your soul for Heaven, and you will enjoy the greatest Christmas ever.

True Worship

 

Scripture Text

Text Psalm 95:6-7

Intro: The ‘Dictionary of Bible Themes” states that worship is mentioned hundreds of times in the bible. Scripture stresses the importance of regular corporate worship, while at the same time recognizing that believers may worship God spontaneously. When was the last time you truly worshiped God?

I. What is “True Worship”? [v:6] Psalms 95:6 (NKJV) Oh come, let us worship and bow down; Let us kneel before the Lord our Maker. Worship means to show reverence and adoration for a deity. True worship is bowing down and kneeling in surrender to the Lord our Maker. [v:6 above] Worship in the truest sense takes place only when our full attention is on God, on His beauty, His glory, magnificence, and majesty, His power, splendor, love and compassion. It’s not in doing religious things but being in complete awe of God and all He is!        If we are honest this doesn’t happen very often. Even in church or in times of quiet devotion, we get distracted and fail to see God as He truly is. It’s easy to be distracted! We must “cast down arguments [about God] and every high thing [rebellious thoughts] that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.” 2 Corinthians 10:5 (NKJV)   When your mind wants to wander bring it back into the obedience of Christ.

II. Things That Prompt Worship. Psalms 95:3-5 (NKJV)
³ For the Lord is the great God, And the great King above all gods.
⁴ In His hand are the deep places of the earth; The heights of the hills are His also.
⁵ The sea is His, for He made it; And His hands formed the dry land. True worship recognizes that God is the Lord. He is the sovereign, supreme, all-powerful over-all so-called gods (idols). God made everything and holds in place the universe.     True worship recognizes that God made us. [v:7] Psalms 95:7 (NKJV) For He is our God, And we are the people of His pasture, And the sheep of His hand. Today, if you will hear His voice: Psalms 139:13-18 (NLT) ¹³ You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb. ¹⁴ Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it. ¹⁵ You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb. ¹⁶ You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed. ¹⁷ How precious are your thoughts about me, O God. They cannot be numbered! ¹⁸ I can’t even count them; they outnumber the grains of sand! And when I wake up, you are still with me! We are not here by accident. We are here by God’s perfect design and He has a plan for each of our lives. When we  worship God we draw close to Him and we find His direction for our lives. He restores our soul and fills us with His Holy Spirit power. Then He leads us in the paths of righteousness for His name sake. [Ps. 23:3] True worship recognizes God has made us a part of His forever family. [v:7] We are part of His flock which means We are under His care. God constantly watches over us. Psalms 139:7 (NLT) I can never escape from your Spirit! I can never get away from your presence! God also provides for our every need. The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. [Ps. 23:1] True worship recognizes that we can never be separated from God and His love. Romans 8:38-39 (NKJV) ³⁸ For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, ³⁹ nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Conclusion: We must learn to shut out the distractions that keep us from truly worshiping God. We must turn our mind and heart to Him every day, praising Him for who He is, what He has done for us, what He is doing and what He has already prepared for our future. We must not to forget to thank Him for His everlasting, faithful love for us in Christ Jesus.

Invitation: You cannot worship God until you have a personal relationship with Him. If you do not have a personal relationship with God, it comes by confessing your sins to Jesus Christ and asking Him to forgive you and save you from Hell. Then invite Jesus into your life to take charge of you and your daily affairs. Then be baptized in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Then you can begin to truly worship God and receive His blessings for the rest of your life here on earth and then forever throughout eternity.

Blessings of the Believer

 

Scripture Text

Psalm 36:7-9

Intro: We who are children of God through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ are the most blessed people on earth. Some envy the wicked, but they are not blessed of God. Psalms 1:6 For the Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the ungodly shall perish.

I. There is security in the Lord. Psalm 36:7 (NKJV) How precious is Your lovingkindness, O God! Therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of Your wings.                                                        A. His unfailing love endures forever. We have the Security of a merciful, loving, kind, caring God. (Psalm 57:1) Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me! For my soul trusts in You; And in the shadow of Your wings I will make my refuge, Until these calamities have passed by. God’s loyal love is precious, because humans can take refuge in the Lord like chicks taking refuge under their mother hen’s wings. If we are in God’s will, nothing can touch us without His permission.

II. There are abundant provisions. Psalm 36:8 (NKJV) They are abundantly satisfied with the fullness of Your house, And You give them drink from the river of Your pleasures.                                                A. The fullness of God’s house. The psalmist here uses the imagery of the temple to say that believers enjoy the provisions of God’s house. (Isaiah 55:1-2) ¹ "Ho! Everyone who thirsts, Come to the waters; and you who have no money, Come, buy and eat. Yes, come; buy wine and milk Without money and without price. ² Why do you spend money for what is not bread, and your wages for what does not satisfy? Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good, And let your soul delight itself in abundance. God invites people to come to Him. The blessings God gives are available without cost. Salvation is a free gift of God; it refers to spiritual redemption and physical deliverance. Both are intended here. The Lord asks how people could be interested in other things besides Himself as He is the only One who can bring genuine satisfaction. Throughout all history people have tried to find satisfaction through many things other than God.

III. There is life in the Lord. (Psalm 36:9a) For with You is the fountain of life; A. Jesus came for this purpose. John 14:6 (NKJV)Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the (life.) No one comes to the Father except through Me. Understanding, joy, and abundant life come from the Lord, our Source. (John 10:10b)

IV. There is light in the Lord. (Psalm 36:9b) For In Your light we see light. A. The light of the Lord overcomes darkness. John 8:12 — Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, "I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life." Jesus lights our way through the darkest of times. His Spirit guides us.      2Cor. 4:6 — For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

Conclusion: So in contrast with the corruptions of the wicked, an obedient believer’s life is characterized by security in the Lord, abundant provisions, life, and understanding in God’s presence. This is the promise of God for all His children.

Invitation: If you are enjoying these provisions of the Lord you should give thanks right now. If you are not enjoying all these provisions of the Lord, now is the time to correct that. Simply confess your sins to Jesus and ask Him to forgive you and invite Him into your life. Do it now!

Be Still

 

Scripture Text

Psalm 46:10; 2:1-12

Intro: We live in a time of chaos today. Everything seems to be totally out of control. Sin is rampant. There is deception and lies everywhere. In the media, government and in people Divisiveness rules our land right now. There is little stability in our world today as we look around us but God speaks to us from His word. Let us be encouraged by God’s word. He is our only stability no matter what! He is in control of every situation and circumstance.

I. God says in His word to “Be still.” [Ps. 46:10a] Be still means to be tranquil, silent, quiet, and at rest in your soul and mind. No matter what's going on, we should have peace. a. This is a challenge for all of us. We must work at it. There is Sickness, Political unrest, biased false news media, war, hatred and division everywhere. There is no substitute for time alone with God. We are to read His word, meditate on it and we are to pray about everything. Stillness before the Lord in quiet time allows Him to prepare us for the unexpected challenges and opportunities in life. We should focus on Him rather than trying to figure out every problem we face and wondering what will come next or grieving over past things. God says we are simply to “be still, be at peace” and acknowledge His Lordship over our lives and Surrender to His will.

II. Then God says to “know” something. Know means to recognize and discern. a. We are to know, recognize and understand that He is God and has everything under control. He has everything covered, nothing takes  Him by surprise. He's already in our future working things out on our behalf and for our good. Let there be no doubt whatsoever that He  has a perfect plan for all of us. We can put our complete trust in Him in every situation and circumstance we face. We just need to wait before God quietly and simply let Him do His work in us so He can accomplish His perfect will in our lives. Isaiah 26:3 You will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on You, Because he trusts in You.

III. God says know “I will be exalted in the earth.” [Habakkuk 2:14]    a. God will be (exalted) means raised in rank, honor, power, character, glory among all the nations of the world. God’s lofty position over all will be made known to all nations who live on the face of the earth. Habakkuk 2:14 (NKJV) For the earth will be filled With the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, As the waters cover the sea. All the idols of the world will be burned up by God’s wrath when Jesus comes to rule and reign. All the other religions of the world that have sent many to hell by their false teachings and killing will be destroyed by the fire of God’s wrath and He will be exalted as His word proclaims. God will have His salvation proclaimed in every nation, among every people, and in every tongue. The nations abroad that do not worship Him, but worship idols, shall see that He alone is the true God, and that He is worthy of universal adoration and worship. God in all His glory will rule supreme on the earth over all through His Son Jesus Christ, the Anointed One and nothing can stop that. Psalm 2:1-6 (NLT) ¹  Why are the nations so angry? Why do they waste their time with futile plans? ²  The kings of the earth prepare for battle; the rulers plot together against the LORD and against his anointed one. ³  “Let us break their chains,” they cry, “and free ourselves from slavery to God.” ⁴  But the one who rules in heaven laughs. The Lord scoffs at them. ⁵  Then in anger He rebukes them, terrifying them with his fierce fury. ⁶  For the Lord declares, “I have placed my chosen king on the throne in Jerusalem, on my holy mountain. b. God has declared that His Son Jesus will rule the earth and all the peoples on earth will bow before His Son Jesus Christ and confess He is Lord over all to the glory of God. Philippians 2:9-11 ⁹ God has highly exalted Jesus and given Him the name which is above every name, ¹⁰ that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, ¹¹ and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Psalm 46:11  The LORD of hosts is with us; The God of Jacob is our refuge. Our Safety,sanctuary, hiding place. Selah (which means) Stop and meditate on that! We must never forget that God is on our side. We have the victory thru Jesus. Romans 8:31b If God is for us, who can be against us?                                                    Conclusion: If you have not developed the habit of a quiet time to still your mind and soul in daily prayer and bible study, why not begin now so you will draw closer to God and realize He is sovereign over you and all the earth. When you do you will have rest and peace in your mind and soul. Nothing else will do that for you!

Invitation: Do you have a relationship with this all powerful God? Have you gotten still before Jesus and confessed your sins to Him and asked Him to forgive you and save you for Heaven when this life is over? If not now is the right time!