Supreme Speaker

Today there are many voices today telling us how to get to heaven and say they are speaking for God. They say there are many ways to God. They scoff and make fun of Christianity and our narrow mindedness. They say our bible is corrupted by man. The Holy Bible tells us in the last days there will be scoffers. 2 Peter 3:3-4 (NKJV)
³ knowing this first: that scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts,
⁴ and saying, "Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation." How are we to know who is truly speaking for God? I believe that if we are to listen to someone who says they are speaking for God they should have the credentials for us to believe them. Having said this I present to you One who has all the credentials needed for you to be able to trust in His words. He is found in God's word in: Hebrews 1:1-2 (NKJV)
¹ God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets,
² has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds;

This scripture says that in the days of the Old Testament God spoke to us by the prophets. Such as Isaiah, Daniel, Zachariah, Malachi, Ezekiel, and etc. But in these last days God has spoken to us through His Son, Jesus Christ. Think of how Jesus is superior to the O. T. prophets as great as they were. None of them were given the full and complete revelation of God. He gave each of them a part of the revelation of who He is and His plan for mankind. None of them could fully receive, understand or explain it all. They had incomplete revelation of God, but God has spoken to us in these last days through Jesus Christ who has and is the complete revelation of God to mankind. John chapter 1 says Jesus "is the living word of God." Look at more reasons why Jesus is superior to the prophets. In verse 2 (above) God has appointed Jesus Christ His Son as heir of all things, not some but all. Also God made the world through Jesus. Look at these verses in Hebrews 1:3 (NKJV)
³ who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, Jesus is the brightness of God's glory, that is, Jesus is all the brilliance, radiance, splendor, and light of God's Being. Image means substance. Jesus Christ is the very substance, Being, Person, and embodiment of God.

Jesus upholds all things by the power of His word. Jesus, God's Son is controlling the world and moving it forward to a climatic moment of renewal and recreation. The bible calls this the "great day of redemption." He simply speaks and the laws He sets in motion hold the world together.

Jesus is superior because He, by Himself, has purged our sins. John 3:15-16 (NKJV)

¹⁵ Whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.
¹⁶ For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
John 14:6 (NKJV)
⁶ Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. Jesus now sits at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become so much better than the angels, and has by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they. Philippians 2:9-11 (NKJV)
⁹ Therefore God also has highly exalted Him 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. I believe these scriptures show us and the world why we should listen to Him and then obey His words.

INVITATION: Jesus is speaking to everyone who is reading this article right now. He is saying, "Do you know me as your personal Savior and Lord? Have you trusted Me for your salvation from Hell? If not, I offer you eternal life with Me if you will confess and repent of your sins Then ask Me to forgive you and invite me into your life to take charge of you. If you do, I will save you now from the penalty of your sins which is hell, and I will give you life eternal in heaven with Me and the Father." What is your decision?"

Spiritual Blessings Abound

I see so many Christians that are living without using their spiritual blessings that they have been given by God Himself, made possible by Jesus Christ. The bible tells us as Christians we have been blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realm by Christ Jesus. We have received those blessings through death, burial and resurrection of Jesus. We can use them to live for God and be the head and not the tail, to be blessed and not cursed. Let's look at what the bible has to say in Ephesians 1:3-6 (NKJV) 
³ Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ,
⁴ just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love,
⁵ having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will,
⁶ to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He has made us accepted in the Beloved.
Verse 3 says we lack nothing in the spiritual realm. God has given us all Jesus died to provide. God chose us in Jesus before He made the world. In Jesus we stand holy and without blame before God. Verse 5 says it was God's love that adopted us as His His sons by Jesus Christ. He did this according to the good pleasure of His will. In Verse 6 we should praise the glory of His grace because by God's grace Jesus made us accepted to God.

Ephesians 1:7-14 (NKJV)
⁷ In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace
⁸ which He made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence,
⁹ having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself,
¹⁰ that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth--in Him.
¹¹ In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will,
¹² that we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His glory.
¹³ In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise,
¹⁴ who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory. In verses 7-14 Jesus has redeemed us by His precious blood. He by His grace has forgiven us. He has given us all wisdom and understanding of the spiritual things He has given us. God has made known to us His children what He had kept secret since the world began. That mystery or hidden secret was that God will bring all things together under Christ and He will be Head over all. He has given us an inheritance in His Kingdom so that in the ages to come we might be to the praise of His glory. After we heard the gospel of salvation through Jesus Christ and we believed, we were sealed with God's Holy Spirit who is the guarantee that we will be given our inheritance and a brand new body when Jesus returns for His body, the church.  When you realize that you have been saved and sealed by the Holy Spirit, you can live your life on this earth without worry you will mess up and lose your salvation as some teach. You have been guaranteed an inheritance in heaven and believe me nothing can take that away from you.                                                                                                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.

You can now live your life in the power of the Holy Spirit God gave you when you believed in Jesus as your personal Savior and Lord. You can overcome every situation, circumstance and trial that you face in this world. These things were given to us by God when we were saved by Jesus Christ. The very power that raised Jesus Christ from the dead lives in you. Ephesians 1:18-23 (NKJV) 

^{18 May} the eyes of your understanding be enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints,
¹⁹ and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power
²⁰ which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places,
²¹ far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come.
²² And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church,
²³ which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all. So, since we have been given every spiritual blessing, let us begin to live in that power that is available to us. Let us grow in spiritual things as we read God's word daily, as we pray and attend church with the other saints of God. Let's rejoice and praise God's glory for what He has given us in Christ Jesus our Lord and Savior. May we live as what we are in this world, God's children. We have been given all we need to live successfully now and forever. If you have never asked Jesus Christ to forgive your sins against God and invited Jesus into your life, you can't live successfully and victorious in this life and your eternal destiny will be Hell and I don't believe you really want that. So ask Jesus to forgive and save you from Hell and give you a home in Heaven. Then be baptized and begin to worship God and His Son in the church of your choice. God grant us to live in fullness of all our spiritual blessings we have been blessed with in Jesus' name. Amen!

Bless the Lord

I believe it's time for the Christian's in America to begin to thank God and bless His name for all He has done for us. I see so little gratitude in America. People are beginning to take all the blessings we have for granted. This is very dangerous because if you read the Old Testament you will see where the children of Israel did that same thing and God brought enemies against them. That will happen in America if things don't change soon. We as Christians must begin to thank God and praise Him for who He is and what He has done. The following scriptures will help us do that. Psalms 103:1-5 (NKJV) A Psalm of David.
¹  Bless the Lord, O my soul; And all that is within me, bless His holy name!
² Bless the Lord, O my soul, And forget not all His benefits:
³ Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases,
⁴ Who redeems your life from destruction, Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies,
⁵ Who satisfies your mouth with good things, So that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.  Verse 1 tell us to bless God with all our soul. The inner man, the real us. We are to bless His name by speaking well of Him in public. We are to open our mouths and begin to tell what God has done for us. His name is not openly blessed in America by our leaders in Washington. They seem to be ashamed of Him and His name. But this country is what it is because it was founded on the Christian principles found in the bible. Our founding fathers did not hesitate to give God praise and ask for His Divine help. Verse two of Psalm 103 reminds us to not forget all of God's benefits toward us. To really appreciate this nation that was founded on Christian principles, just look at all the other nations that have different religions other than Christianity. You will very quickly see that we are blessed above all other nations. That's why all other nationalities want to come here. They have noticed the difference too. We are not great because of ourselves or because of what we have done, but our greatness is in the God whom we serve. God through His Son Jesus Christ has forgiven us all our sins and adopted us into His family. The moment we asked Jesus to forgive our sins against God and invited Him into our lives to take charge we became God's adopted children. We are not to forget that! it was not by our great works but by His grace and mercy we were saved. 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.
In Verse 3 God heals all our diseases whether we go to the doctors He gave us or whether God does it supernaturally. There is no healing apart from God. In verse 4 God also saved us from the destruction of Hell. He daily crowns us with lovingkindness and tender mercies. Lovingkindness means you ask for bread and He gives you bread with peanut butter and honey. He goes beyond the normal when He blesses us. He is very tender in His mercies toward us. He treats us as something very fragile. That's what we are in His sight. In verse 5 God blesses our mouths with good things. He provides all our needs each day. We have more than enough here in America while people are dying from hunger all over the world. Have you ever thought about giving some of what you have to others or do you make excuses for your selfishness. God blesses us with all the things we need in this life. Are we being thankful for what He has given us? Are we remembering to praise Him or are we taking Him and His blessings for granted? Only you and God's Spirit can honestly answer that. Verse 5 ends with God renews our strength like the eagles. Notice it is God who does all these things for us. Who else will or can do for us like GOD? Shouldn't we take time each day to read God's word, pray, and then praise God and thank Him for who He is and what He has done and is doing for us and for our nation. Let us as Christians rise up and take a stand for God and His Son Jesus Christ. Let us go to His house of worship and join in with the other brothers and sisters to worship, praise, and adore God and His Son Jesus Christ for all they are and have done for us and our wonderful nation, we are the most blessed on earth.

INVITATION: If you have never asked Jesus to forgive you of your sins against a Holy God, now is the time to do that before it is eternally to late. If you die without Jesus, you will spend eternity in Hell begging for water. God does not want that for you. That's why God gave us his Son Jesus Christ to live a perfect life and pay for our sins by dying on that cross for us. Jesus paid the price so we could go free. What a Savior! Ask Jesus to forgive you right now and invite Him into your life to take charge of you and if you are sincere, a miracle will happen that will change your life forever and seal your eternal destiny for Heaven. After you have been saved, go to a church that preaches Jesus Christ and be baptized. Begin to be thankful! Worship and praise God at church as well as at home each day and watch your life change and see how God will bless you when you put Him first in your life.

Prayer of Faith

There is a prayer in the bible that King David pens for us that we can learn from and be encouraged by. It is found in Psalm 20 and I would like to examine it and apply it to our lives today.

Psalms 20:1 (NLT)
¹ In times of trouble, may the LORD respond to your cry. May the God of Israel keep you safe from all harm.
Wow, what a prayer for you and I. I want to claim this prayer for you. The Lord always responds to His children's prayers each time they pray in sincerity. May God keep you from all harm.That's my sincere prayer for you and I pray that's your prayer for me. How powerful we can be when we pray for each other. In this way we are loving and caring for each other as Jesus said we should do.

Psalms 20:2 (NLT) May he send you help from his sanctuary and strengthen you from Jerusalem.

God's sanctuary is no longer on earth but it is now in heaven. My prayer for you is God will send you His help form heaven and save you from whatever you are struggling with. May He also strengthen you from heaven where He now sits on His throne. At the time of David's prayer God's presence was in the sanctuary in Jerusalem. Now His presence is in heaven.

Psalms 20:3 (NLT)  May he remember all your gifts and look favorably on your burnt offerings. 
The New Testament says that God will not forget your gifts and service for Him.                               Galatians 6:9 (NLT) 

⁹ So don't get tired of doing what is good. Don't get discouraged and give up, for we will reap a harvest of blessing at the appropriate time.
God promised eternal rewards for those who do good works for Him. He will surely look favorable on your service for Him.

Psalms 20:4 (NLT) May he grant your heart's desire and fulfill all your plans.
Take a good look at this prayer. This is almost to good to be true but God said in His word He would give you the desires of your heart.

Psalms 37:4 (NLT) Take delight in the LORD, and he will give you your heart's desires.
There's the condition for God to give you the desires of your heart. Delight in Him, put God first in our lives each day and read His word. He will fulfill all your Godly desires and plans.

Psalms 20:5 (NLT) May we shout for joy when we hear of your victory, flying banners to honor our God. May the LORD answer all your prayers.
Tell someone about your victories so they can rejoice with you and give glory to God. David repeats his prayer to God for all your prayers to be answered. That's also my prayer for you right now as you read these words. You must believe God wants to answer all your prayers and He will if you are sincere.

King David gives us a first hand testimony in the next verse. Psalms 20:6 (NLT) 

⁶ Now I know that the LORD saves his anointed king. He will answer him from his holy heaven and rescue him by his great power. David says he knows, with no doubting, that it is God who saves him.

David had personally been saved and rescued from many situations by God's great power.

Psalms 20:7 (NLT)  Some nations boast of their armies and weapons, but we boast in the LORD our God. David knew where his victories came from. It was not by the might of man and his armies, but victory comes from the Lord always. What are you looking to for your victory? I pray you are looking to God because no one else can give you that victory but Him. May you boast only in God and not man.

Psalms 20:8 (NLT)  Those nations will fall down and collapse, but we will rise up and stand firm.
All nations and individuals will collapse and fall without God, but those who belong to God will rise up and stand firm in the face of all obstacles.

Psalms 20:9 (NLT)  Give victory to our king, O LORD! Respond to our cry for help. Knowing all victories come from God, David would pray and ask God for the victory ever time. God always heard David's prayers because he was one of the most victorious and powerful kings in the history of Israel and the bible. Wouldn't it be wise for us to learn from one who was a man  after God's own heart. He knew the key to being victorious in all of life. May we know God that way.

INVITATION: You can not pray to God for the victory until you come to know Him through His Son Jesus Christ. In fact you have no relationship to God at all without Jesus to forgive your sins. John 3:36 (NKJV)  He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him."
Ask Jesus to forgive your sins if you have never done that and you will be so glad you did. Invite Jesus into your heart and life to take charge of you and then begin to pray for God's help and it will surely come according to God's own words. He promised to supply all your needs. Philippians 4:19 (NKJV)
¹⁹ And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.
May we all "grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. To God be the glory both now and forever". Amen! 2 Peter 3:18.

Why And How to Pray

The question is often, if God knows what we need, why should we pray? Let's look at what the bible has to say about that.
I. First, it shows our dependency on Jesus, He said in God's word:
John 15:5 (NKJV)  I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. That's pretty plain. We are not sufficient within ourselves. We are not independent of Jesus Christ. All of us have needs that no person can supply.

II. Second, it is the way to receive from God.
He tells us in His word: Luke 11:9-10 (NKJV) ⁹ "So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 

¹⁰ For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.
III. How are we to pray effectively? 

A. We must have faith in God. Hebrews 11:6 (NKJV) 

⁶ But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
Mark 11:22-24 (NKJV) ²² So Jesus answered and said to them, "Have faith in God. ²³ For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Be removed and be cast into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. ²⁴ Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them. We must speak to the problem with which we are dealing just as JESUS spoke to the fig tree. 

Mark 11:20-21 (NKJV) ²⁰ Now in the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots. ²¹ And Peter, remembering, said to Him, "Rabbi, look! The fig tree which You cursed has withered away."
Then Jesus says we must not doubt in our hearts, but we must believe the things we say will be done. If we do we will have whatever we say. We can't allow ourselves to speak negatively once we pray. If we do, we will get what we speak! So speak positive answers to our prayers without doubting.  

B. We must forgive all who have hurt us or spoken evil of us. If we have unforgiveness in our hearts, our prayers will not be heard nor will God forgive us. Look at the following scriptures.

Mark 11:25-26 (NKJV)
²⁵ "And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses.
²⁶ But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses."
God can't be much plainer than that!

C. Then last of all, we are to pray without anxiety in our minds and hearts.

 Philippians 4:6 (NKJV) 

⁶ Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; Anxiety on our part means we really don't trust God to be able to handle our situation or circumstance. 

We are to pray with thanksgiving to God in our hearts. We are to be thankful for who God is and what He has done and what He is going to do. Be thankful you can trust Him for the answer.

When we pray this way, God makes us a promise. Philippians 4:7 (NKJV) 

⁷ and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. God's peace will keep, [that word means guard] our heart and mind. Trusting God with our problems and worries gives us a peace of mind that can not be understood with the human mind because it comes from God Himself. Then that scripture says God will guard our heart and mind from anxiety. We can't be anxious when we truly take our problems to God, trust Him for the answer and then leave them there with God. 

God invites us to cast all  our cares on Him because He cares for us. 

Peter 5:7 (NKJV) ⁷ casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you. 

What have you got to lose except your anxieties, worries, and doubts? You can not pray with faith in God unless you know Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. Has there been a time that you stopped and admitted your sins against God and asked Jesus to forgive you? If not, now is the time in the privacy of your own home or wherever you are. Ask Jesus to forgive your sins and invite Him into your life to take charge of you. If you are sincere, He will forgive you instantly and forever your sins will be washed away never to be brought up again. Then you can pray for anything your heart desires that is in tune with God's will for your life. That is the truth, and it is the whole truth in Jesus, name. You will never be the same again.

It Is Finished!

John 19:30 (NKJV)
³⁰ So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, "It is finished!" And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit. 

Three of the greatest words ever spoken. "It Is Finished." These three words were spoken by Jesus Christ as He hung on the cross giving His life for the sins of man. Very few people can say that they have accomplished all they have set out to do. But Jesus was no ordinary person. Jesus was the perfect and only Son of God who came to earth to save mankind from all the his sins. What did Jesus mean when He said "It is finished?" The battle for the victory over Satan, sin, and the law was finished-accomplished.                                                                                                                                                                                                                  1. The victory over Satan has been accomplished for you.                                                                                                                                                                                                                             Colossians 2:15 (NKJV)  Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it. Matthew 16:18b I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. 

Romans 8:38-39 (NKJ)    ³⁸ For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, [this means Satan and all his demons] 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.
2. The victory over the law was accomplished for you.   Colossians 2:14 (NKJV)
¹⁴ having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. The penalty for your breaking God's laws has been paid for in full by Jesus' death, burial, and resurrection. 
2 Corinthians 5:21 (NKJV) ²¹ For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
Isaiah 53:5 (NKJV)
⁵ But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed.
Isaiah 53:12 (NKJV)
¹² Therefore I will divide Him a portion with the great, And He shall divide the spoil with the strong, Because He poured out His soul unto death, And He was numbered with the transgressors, And He bore the sin of many, And made intercession for the transgressors.

3. The victory over sin was accomplished for you. Sin and death no longer has dominion over you. Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and death. Romans 8:1-2 (NKJV) 

¹ There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.
² For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. 
4. The debt for your sin against God was finished-"paid in full"-There is nothing left for you to do.
When Jesus said "it is finished" He meant that all you will ever need for God to forgive you of all your sins past, present, and future has been accomplished because Jesus paid the price in full for your sin because you could not AND YOU CAN NOT NOW MAKE HEAVEN ON YOUR OWN! It is a gift from God through faith in Jesus Christ.                                                                                                                                    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.
 The only payment you could make is to spend an eternity in Hell.

But for all Jesus did to become a reality in your life, you must confess your sins to Jesus. Admit you have fallen short of keeping God's laws according to Romans 3:23. Ask Jesus to forgive you for your sin of breaking God's law-"Ten Commandments." Romans 6:23 says that the wages of our sin is death, eternal separation from God. No one has perfectly kept all of God's laws except Jesus Christ . After you ask Jesus to forgive you, then invite Him into your life to take charge of you. When you do you will receive eternal life. That's a promise of God. Romans 10:9-13 (NKJV) ⁹  If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 
¹⁰ For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
¹¹ For the Scripture says, "Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame."
¹² For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. ¹³ For "whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved."  Jesus does not try to "sell" you salvation by your good works.  It is a free gift that is yours for the asking.
Ephesians 2:8-10 (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. ¹⁰ For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.
After you are saved, you will begin to do good works. You will want to live your life for Jesus out of love for what He has done for you. Go to a church where they preach and teach Jesus as Savior and Lord of all mankind. Be baptized! Worship and praise God from that place. Serve Him, Live for Him because "It is Finished." The debt for your sin has been paid IN FULL BY JESUS CHRIST HIMSELF. Hallelujah! 

  

Holy Spirit Power

All winter the trees and plants have lain dormant. Just enough sap to keep them alive. As we look around us now we see the signs of spring. We see the trees and plants putting forth buds and blooms. The sap is rising in the trees and plants. This gives nutrients for new life. When you look at your spiritual life, how would you evaluate it? Is it lying dormant, just barely alive? Not doing you or anybody else any good. Not producing any fruit for God? You perhaps have lost your zeal for the things of God. Not interested in reading His word daily any more. Just doesn't mean that much any more. Have you abandoned prayer saying in your heart it doesn't do any good?
What you need is to be renewed by the Holy Spirit. To be renewed by the holy Spirit you must know Jesus Christ as your personal Savior and Lord. Have you admitted your sins to Him and asked Jesus to forgive those sins? Have you invited Jesus into your heart to live in you? If you haven't, you can do that now right where you are in the privacy of your home or wherever you may be reading these words. You must do this to have eternal life. If you don't ask Jesus to save you, your eternal destiny is a place called Hell. Jesus has paid the price for the penalty of your sins on the cross. If you are wise you will take advantage of that right now if you have never done that.
When you ask Jesus to forgive and save you, the Spirit of God baptizes you into the body of Christ which means He unites you with Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 12:13 (NKJV) 
¹³ For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body--whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free--and have all been made to drink into one Spirit.

Then the Spirit of God indwells your very being.
Ephesians 4:4-6 (NKJV) ⁴ There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; ⁵ one Lord, one faith, one baptism; ⁶ one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all. Now the Spirit of the Father is in  all of those who have received salvation as verse 6 says. The Spirit of God seals you for God and His kingdom.
Ephesians 1:13 (NKJV) ¹³ In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise.

Now if you have been saved and baptized by God's Spirit, His Spirit lives in you to empower you to live for Him and be a witness for Him.

 Acts 1:8 (NKJV) ⁸ But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth." We are commanded in not be drunk with wine but filled with God's Spirit.

Ephesians 5:18 And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit.
To be filled with the Spirit of God is an ongoing process that never stops until God takes us home to be with Him. To be filled with God's Spirit means to be completely surrendered to His control in your life.

Jesus tells us how we can live every day in the power of His Spirit. 

Colossians 2:6-7 (NKJV) ⁶ As you have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him,
⁷ rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving. These scriptures tell us as we have received Jesus as our Savior and Lord, we are to walk or live in Him. That means His Spirit guides and leads us each day. Verse 7 says to be rooted and built up in Him. Then our faith will become established and we will abound with thanksgiving.We become rooted and built up in Jesus as we begin to read God's word each day and then do what it says. We become built up in Him as we pray and invite Him to fill our lives with His Spirit each day as we walk or live our lives according to what we have read in God's word.

Jesus tells us in John 15:5 (NKJV) I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.
Abide means to continue in a relationship with Jesus each day of our lives. As we continue in that relationship with Jesus we will begin to bear much fruit. The fruit of the Spirit is  ²² love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³ gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.
Galatians 5:22-23 (NKJV)                                                                          Check your spiritual level. How full are you of God's Spirit? How much of the Spirit's fruit is being produced by you? As you pray for and are filled with God's Spirit, you will walk in more power over sin and will begin to live in more victory than you ever thought possible.

God will be able to do exceedingly and abundantly more than we could ask or think according to that power (God's Spirit) that works in us. Ephesians 3:20.

This will not only change our lives but also the church which we attend. People will see the Spirit of God at work in our hearts and want the same in their lives. May God be glorified through our efforts. May our example of living in the power of the Holy Spirit cause others to come to the knowledge of the Lord God.

What Jesus Says About Real Riches

Most people seek to be rich in the things of this world. We are taught that from our childhood up. We must have high paying jobs, big house, lot's of money, cars, boats and etc. The big I syndrome rules.
But Jesus had much to say about who is really rich and who is really poor. Jesus says it is blessed to be poor in some areas because in being poor we would be made rich.
In Matthew 5:3-12 (NKJV) 
³ "Blessed are the poor in spirit, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 

If we are poor in spiritual things, God will make us rich by giving us His kingdom.
⁴ Blessed are those who mourn, For they shall be comforted. 

If we are poor in goodness and mourn over our sin, God will make us rich with His comfort.
⁵ Blessed are the meek, For they shall inherit the earth. 

If we are poor in pride, God will give us all the earth as our inheritance.
⁶ Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, For they shall be filled. 

If we are poor in righteousness and we hunger and thirst for it, God shall fill us to overflowing with it.
⁷ Blessed are the merciful, For they shall obtain mercy. 

If we are rich in mercy, God will give us His abundant  mercy.
⁸ Blessed are the pure in heart, For they shall see God. 

If we are rich in pureness of heart, God will reward us with His presence forever.

⁹ Blessed are the peacemakers, For they shall be called sons of God. 

If we are rich in making peace, God will reward us by making us His sons.
¹⁰ Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 

If we are rich in righteousness and are persecuted for it, God will give us His kingdom in all it's glory.
¹¹ "Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. 

¹² Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
If we are rich in our relationship with Jesus to the point of persecution for His sake, God will bless us with joy, gladness, and great rewards in heaven. 

The things that God makes us rich in will last throughout eternity. This is real riches with no end.

The things that make us rich in this world we will lose in just a few years if not sooner, when we die. Then that person will be really poor throughout all eternity in a place called hell. That my friend is what real poorness is.

So which is your choice, real riches of God for an eternity or the fleeting riches of the world that end at death and lead to an eternal hell. Please take these words seriously for you know not how long you will live. Then whose will all those things be that you worked so hard to obtain on this earth?

But if you work hard for the kingdom of God, when you die, your riches will follow you into heaven and you will be given more.

If you have been living for the things of this world and left God out of your life, don't you think it wise to begin to make yourself rich in the things of God?

Ask Jesus to forgive you of your sins of leaving God out of your life. Then Invite Jesus into your heart and life.

Then got to church and be baptized. Begin to serve God there and begin to make yourself rich in the things of God which are eternal. May God help you to make this choice now in Jesus' name and be forever rich. Amen!