“Israel’s watchmen are blind, they all lack knowledge; they are all mute dogs, they cannot bark; they lie around and dream, they love to sleep. They are dogs with mighty appetites; they never have enough. They are shepherds who lack understanding; they all turn to their own way, each seeks his own gain.” Isaiah 56:10-11 (NIV) We can see how Isaiah 56:10-11 relates in today’s world with crystal clarity. The “Watchmen” were the nation’s leaders. As it was then, it is now. The leaders were, and are now, blind to every danger and, thus, did not warn when danger was coming. They were full of self-adulation and self-richness as they sat at the top of the nations, and they grew vastly apathetic to the needs of the people they governed. They were then, and are now, more concerned with satisfying their own greed. Leadership’s special privileges can cause them to either sacrifice for the good of their people or to sacrifice their people for their own greed. Without God in a leader’s heart, the people’s future is doomed. “Help, Lord, for the godly are no more; the faithful have vanished from among men. Everyone lies to his neighbor; their flattering lips speak with deception.” Psalm 12:1-2 It seems that sincerity and truth have nearly gone out of existence. We have one hope – the Word of God. God’s Word is pure, and it is the truth. Read His Word in the Bible and listen carefully when He speaks to you through it. (References: Isaiah 56:10-11; Psalm 12:1-2; Isaiah 57) (Listen to entire sermon below.) If you have never put your complete faith in Jesus Christ for your eternal salvation, why not believe what God's word says and call on Jesus Christ to save you right now? Click here and let us show you how you can KNOW JESUS.
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Do you really have your hope in God? Has coming to a life in Christ really changed you? These are important questions you need to answer in your own heart. It is one thing to be convinced of the need for a new life, but quite another thing to live a new life. Confess your sins, yield to God and be filled and controlled by the Holy Spirit…no other combination will work. Oh, you can have some beneficial behavior modification on your own, but that will not change your heart and inner motives. Those areas are broken by virtue of your physical birth, which was into the broken Adam nature. Deep and lasting change will only occur when you have a “birth” into the nature of God. Yes, hope in God and expect the changes to manifest. [Scripture References: Colossians 1:27, Hebrews 6:19, 1 Peter 1:3] (Listen to entire sermon below.) If you have never put your complete faith in Jesus Christ for your eternal salvation, why not believe what God's word says and call on Jesus Christ to save you right now? Click here and let us show you how you can KNOW JESUS. © http://www.creationswap.com/danielsauseda Trusting is letting go and letting God have control of us. We as a people have the hardest time letting go of the controls of our life decisions. We think that only we know what is best for us, and to trust someone else is not easy. To completely trust our life, job, home, and family to another is far beyond what we feel comfortable doing. “The Lord will guide you always.” (Isaiah 58:11) God’s plan is personal. Every believer has the right to take God’s word as though it was written just for them. “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you.” (Psalm 32:8) This verse speaks of an individual pathway, not just the general way of righteousness set before all Christians. The personal interest God shows in each one of us, as revealed in the Bible, is astonishing. All our thoughts, our ways, and our words are known to Him. In Psalm 139:2-6 it says, “You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue you, Lord, know it completely. You hem me in behind and before, and you lay your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain.” The Lord not only knows us, but He loves us. Trust in His love. If you have never put your complete faith in Jesus Christ for your eternal salvation, why not believe what God's word says and call on Jesus Christ to save you right now? Click here and let us show you how you can KNOW JESUS. © http://www.123rf.com We so often feel that way when grief and struggles assail us. But we must be reminded that when overwhelmed…REMEMBER GOD’S GREATNESS! (Read Psalm 77:7-15 and Exodus 14:1-31) So, don’t get caught up in the details of your circumstances…get caught up in the greatness of God. We so often shake a fist at God because He didn’t stop the devastation or the “extreme circumstance”. But stop and think…if He is in total control, then your extreme circumstance isn’t “extreme” to Him! And, just because things didn’t work according to your plan, it doesn’t mean it wasn’t His plan! In the Scriptures noted, we see that the Israelites panicked when the Egyptian army was roaring down on them. They forgot so quickly what God had just delivered them from in their years of slavery and deprivation. By looking at the details of the situation instead of looking to God first, they were consumed in fear instead of faith. God’s love and plan won out and He rescued them again…just like He will for you. Lesson learned: Don’t get caught up in the details of your circumstances…get caught up in the greatness of God. LISTEN TO AUDIOIf you have never put your complete faith in Jesus Christ for your eternal salvation, why not believe what God's word says and call on Jesus Christ to save you right now? Click here and let us show you how you can KNOW JESUS.
We need to come to the realization that it wasn’t the people noted in the Scriptures being great people…it was those people with the powerful Spirit of God in or upon them that allowed those things to happen through them…whether it was writing the Bible or doing some amazing acts that are recorded in the Bible. What a holy privilege WE have, being born after Jesus’ death and resurrection. Jesus left us the Comforter—the Holy Spirit—to DWELL within…and WE become the Temple (the dwelling place) of the Spirit of God. Or do you just sing-song Bible verses? Do you just memorize them as a Sunday School class assignment? Do you really know the great power of God, and that in His greatness you can face and defeat each and every trial, temptation or challenge? You CAN do all that God requires of you in the mental, physical, emotional and spiritual areas of your life. Don’t be a whiner…be a winner in Christ Jesus! And that is why it is said, “Greater is He who is in you, than he who is in the world.” (I John 4:4) LISTEN TO AUDIO: © Melinda Nagy | Dreamstime.com Suffering is real, whether we caused it or not. The point is when it is physical suffering, we are willing to suffer a bit more in order to get it fixed so it won’t interfere with our full functioning anymore. Will you have a scar? Many times you will. Does the scar hurt like the original injury? Not usually…but it is a vivid reminder of what happened. Hopefully a reminder that helps you not do the action again that caused the injury. In following a life in Christ, there is much suffering because we are trying to live a fully functional life with broken parts and pieces. We cannot do it without pain. The more we give to God, the more He can fix. The suffering will never go away completely because the journey requires a total makeover. But what an awesome difference when we begin to walk with some of the broken parts fixed! How can we do that? God gives us ample guidance in the Scriptures (quick summary is found in Part 1):
The sufferings of Christ might make us wince and say, “Ouch, that hurts!” A surgeon or a medical doctor may often have to hurt you to fix you. But how much more effective result we will receive when it is not just a broken bone or disease that will be removed to bring you a small amount of comfort, but a whole, totally new part that will bring freedom, faith and a future with God. Remember, suffering has value when you have the right view concerning it…and then it can bring you to victory. (Due to technical malfunction with our recorder, the first few minutes of this evening's message did not record. The recording begins five minutes into the message. Pastor Pugsley is giving a review of Part 1 of this series.)
PRINT OR VIEW HAND OUT BELOW. © Melinda Nagy | Dreamstime.com God doesn’t want us to suffer, but it is inevitable because this isn’t heaven! We are faced with:
Many do complain that God is unfair, that this earth is a mess because of Him, that suffering is His mistake…but I want us to take another look at “suffering”. I don’t mean suffering because of the common problems of the day…most of which we bring on ourselves with poor decisions in the realm of health, finances, relationships, etc. What I’m talking about is an “attitude” about suffering…what’s yours? Where does “suffering” come into your understanding of the truths of God? Are you angry, confused, or just plain old neutral? Romans 14:8 “for if we live, we live for the Lord, or if we die, we die for the Lord; therefore whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s.” Is that your attitude? Not hardly, but it can be! Suffering is real, whether we caused it or not. The point is when it is physical suffering we are willing to suffer a bit more in order to get it fixed so it won’t interfere with our full functioning anymore. Will you have a scar? Many times you will. Does the scar hurt like the original injury? Not usually, but it is a vivid reminder of what happened. Hopefully, it will be a reminder that helps you not do the action again that caused the injury. In following a life in Christ, there is much suffering because we are trying to live a fully functional life with broken parts and pieces. We cannot do it without pain. The more we give to God, the more He can fix. The suffering will never go away completely because the journey requires a total makeover. But what an awesome difference when we begin to walk with some of the broken parts fixed! How can we do that? God gives us ample guidance in the Scriptures:
May we be willing to say, “Bring it on!” And God keep us with His mercy. Amen. LISTEN TO AUDIO:PRINT OR VIEW HAND OUT BELOW. |
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