Ephesians 2:10 tells us, For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. But without Jesus, we’re broken…so how can we do any of the good works He wants us to do? Well, it’s hammer time! This is the picture. Because of Adam’s sin and separation from God, all of the offspring after him are born broken and not in the perfection God first created. Because of that brokenness, we cannot function to the highest levels He intended and we always fall short. God is not angry at you because you fumble bumble around…He even sent Jesus to “fix” you. If you could picture this…
Now I know Jesus didn’t use these teaching examples but, as a visual, it is pretty vivid a picture. In “Godspeak,” the hammer idea goes like this… 2 Corinthians 5:21, He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. John 15:4, Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you, unless you abide in Me. 1 John 5:12, He who has the Son, has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life. Your life, your strength, your abilities and your final eternity are all in Jesus Christ. He won’t “hammer” it in to you but you can go to Him and He will make it so you are changed forever. Ref.: John 15:4; Ezekiel 36:26-27; 2 Corinthians 5:17; 2 Corinthians 5:1; John 1:4; John 14:6 Now – go tell others the good news…your hammer got fixed! (Listen to entire sermon below.) NOW GO LIVE IT!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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Where’s your treasure – hopes, dreams, money, degrees, business, etc.? Jesus said, “My Kingdom is not of this world…” (John 18:36) In a devotional (Oct 19) Oswald Chambers says: “The system of the world…insists upon endless energy and activities, but no private life with God. We must get rid of the plague of the spirit of this religious age in which we live. In Our Lord’s life, there was none of the pressure and the rushing of tremendous activity that we regard so highly today…and a disciple is to be like His Master. The central point of the kingdom of Jesus Christ is a personal relationship with Him, not public usefulness to others. If you waste your time in over activity, instead of being immersed in the great fundamental truths of God’s redemption, then you will snap when the stress and strain do come." If you’re rooted and grounded in Jesus (which often looks stupid to others), you’ll remain true to Him whatever happens. Definitely remain aware of the world you’re in…but have your primary focus on Jesus. Don’t have your treasure here, have it with the Lord while you’re here! All else will fall into place. Remember…He’s not in a hurry…YOU are! Slow down and stay in step with Jesus – He IS your treasure. Scripture references: Luke 17:20-21; Romans 5:8; Exodus 33:14; Philippians 4:8 (Listen to entire sermon below.) NOW GO LIVE IT!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. Other “faiths” deal with “sins” – the actions/thoughts of mankind. God deals with “sin” – which is the very nature of mankind. To me, that is best explained by Oswald Chambers when he says, “I have a heredity in which I had no say or decision; I am not holy, nor am I likely to be; and if all Jesus Christ can do is tell me that I must be holy, His teaching only causes me to despair. But if Jesus Christ is truly a regenerator, someone who can put His own heredity of holiness into me, then I can begin to see what He means when He says that I have to be holy…the moral miracle of redemption is that God can put a new nature into me through which I can live a totally new life…through Jesus Christ I can receive a pure and spotless heredity, namely the Holy Spirit.” That’s why I can say, “Your best day with me…is when I’m not me!” It’s when I have voluntarily given myself over to the nature of God and let Him rule and not my sin nature…so that you will get the very best from me. And that goes for any wife, husband, brother, sister, worker, boss, etc. You don’t have to stay “you”! In Jesus Christ, you will have a NEW ability to do what is right, pure and holy. Read Galatians 4:3-7, Romans 5: 8-10, Romans 6:22-23 Oh Linda, how boring…I already know all that. YEAH – WELL WHY AREN’T YOU DOING ALL THAT?! • Every argument between husband and wife, parents and children, neighbor to neighbor is because, at that moment, the heredity of Adam is ruling – and whether you like to hear it or not, it’s because YOU LET IT RULE…and that is sin. • All of that ends…when you crucify that flesh and let the new nature of God that you have in Jesus Christ rule and reign in that moment. • Do it…go moment by moment in the awareness of A NEW NATURE, A NEW INHERITANCE…A NEW AND LIVING WAY Let’s make everyone’s day a great day…don’t be you…live the Jesus in you! (Listen to entire sermon below.) NOW GO LIVE IT!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. I am sure you’ve noticed the unstable situation in our world today, including our country’s moral decline, the war-torn Middle East, our turbulent immigration and border problems, the flux of immigrants fleeing the Middle East and inundating European resources, the inability of countries to ferret out terrorists who may be pouring over their borders (including ours), the economic and energy crises that loom in the distance, etc. That is somewhat bleak, but not really! I can hear your scream now …“Wha-a-at? Kind of bleak, but not really? You have to be kidding!” Nope, I’m not. My comfort regarding these issues is not in money or security, it is in the Lord. How about you? As the world squirms, do you? With the above-mentioned, though, I do have a sense to prepare: • To gather more control of my money and not the bank • Water, food, clothing and supplies at the ready • May be increasing times of loss of power or water for various reasons, and being prepared will be most helpful So, with all this in mind, I want to review Psalm 27, which I have been reading each day all this past month. THIS IS MY FOUNDATIONAL PREPARATION FOR WHAT LIES AHEAD – AND I HOPE IT IS YOURS. Read Psalm 27. God is with us. (Listen to entire sermon below.) NOW GO LIVE IT!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. When we stop and think of all the variables in life, we soon realize that, short of a few of those variables, we too could have been that drug addict, alcoholic, bank robber, unfaithful spouse, etc. Humility, true humility, would admit that we could have been one of the worst dredges on earth! In understanding humility, we first have to understand that it does not mean you walk around meekly with your head down, being a doormat for everyone that comes along. It does mean that you know you have gifts and strengths…but the difference is that you know they didn’t come from you…they came from God. And, in all you do, you acknowledge that. Humility is really a protection against pride. God is opposed to the proud but gives grace to the humble (1 Peter 5:5b-6)…and that grace covers all of your junk! Humility reminds you that you’re not God…God is! News flash…this is a work in progress so don’t be surprised if it doesn’t happen overnight. If you want your life to change—you have to change your life! Another news flash…if you’re humble, you can’t be offended—not by your spouse, family, friends, co-workers, etc. In true humility, you’ll know that God, not you, has all situations in control and will give you what to say (if anything) at just the right time and in just the right way. Your reaction to all things will be His reaction and not yours IF you are humble enough to let Him rule. So the next time you think you’re “hot stuff” or that you’re one “holy son of a gun”…think again—you could’ve been the one you condemn and scoff or write off for hopeless. Remember, “There, but for the grace of God, go I.” “Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, that He might exalt you at the proper time.” (Listen to entire sermon below.) NOW GO LIVE IT!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. The battle plan is for prayer. Then he told me, “This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: ‘You will not succeed by your own strength or by your own power [Not by might, nor by power], but by my Spirit,’ says the Lord. All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; of hosts]”. Zachariah 4:6 (EXB) Many people believe that to survive in this world a person must be tough, strong, unbending, and harsh. But God says, “not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit.” The key words are “by my Spirit.” It is only through God’s Spirit that anything of lasting value is accomplished. As you live for God, pray to determine not to trust in your own strength or abilities. Instead, depend on God and work in the power of His Spirit. Although God asks us to do our part, we should remember that He is not limited to human effort. God often chooses to work through people, but only because it is good for them. He can accomplish all of His purposes without any help from us if He chooses. You are very important to God but on your own you have neither the ability to fulfill nor the power to disrupt God’s plans. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. Philippians 2:3-4 (NIV) Pray for God’s guidance and direction before you act on your own and, most importantly, pray for His Spirit – His most powerful, Holy Spirit. That is the winning way. That is God’s battle plan. (Listen to entire sermon below.) NOW GO LIVE IT!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. Warning: you cannot do the following unless you have Jesus in your heart and as the “motor” which runs your soul. That being said, just the word "sacrifice" screams out that you are not the center of the universe. Do you tend to lean to selfish, rather than sacrifice – my comfort, my desires, my dreams, my plans – rather than your life being all about God? This “giving up” stuff isn’t just money...it’s personal sacrifice, relational sacrifice as well as financial sacrifice. In praising God “no matter what,” people will think you’re nuts, Satan will work overtime to get you to stop, and your own mind will question what you are doing. Don’t listen to any of it. Listen to what God says. Habakkuk 3:17-19 shows the scenario set up by Habakkuk of all the bad things that could happen (no food, no water, etc.), and yet he cries out that he will "Yet exult in the Lord…for the Lord God is my strength and He has made my feet like hinds’ feet and makes me walk on high places." A “hind” is another word for a red deer. They are strong and swift and can climb to high and difficult places; they are always on the alert and can run fast from danger. God wants us to depend on Him (no matter what). Then when things go wrong, you give up on the complaining and move into the praising Him and you, too, will go to the “high places” and not the low. Read Psalm 150, it won’t hurt! (Listen to entire sermon below.) NOW GO LIVE IT!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. In Oswald’s Feb 1 reading, he says, “Jesus Christ travailed in redemption to redeem the whole world and place it unimpaired and rehabilitated before the throne of God…The one passion of Paul’s life (as is mine!), was to proclaim the Gospel of God. He (Paul) welcomed heart-breaks, disillusionments, and tribulation for one reason only, because these things kept him in unmoved devotion to the Gospel of God.” Remember now, Paul did not ask for heart-breaks, disillusionments and tribulations, but once upon him, he welcomed it and did not turn away and run from it…he faced it! Now, how could he possibly do that? He could face all that because Paul knew that something greater was in him than what he was facing in the world. Paul (and you and me) are anointed, as followers of Christ, to be God’s very own and set apart to His service. I John 2:20, “You have an anointing from the Holy One…” Our hearts and minds are empowered by the Holy Spirit with God’s truth and life. That truth is recorded in Scriptures and uniquely confirmed to each and every one of us by that same Spirit. Let me take a moment aside here and remind us about some key points regarding the Bible… • The Scriptures were started about 1400 years before Jesus was even born. • God spoke to Moses – who was once a Prince of Egypt (then gave it up). • Moses was 120 years old when God revealed to him what he was supposed to write down (so think you’re too old to do anything great for God!). • Moses, at God’s command, not his own whim, picked up the old quill pen and papyrus (or whatever he used) and wrote Genesis through Deuteronomy (the first 5 books of the Bible). • Then, over the next 1500 years, God spoke to about 40 different men and women who continued to write after Moses started out there in the Sinai desert. • The writings were wrapped up by a former fisherman, John the Apostle, writing the final book while on a lonely, windy island in the middle of nowhere! • There are 66 divinely inspired books…from Genesis to Revelation. • I find it amazing and quite confirming that in spite of all the variations of time, people and their talents and backgrounds, that the completed Bible shows such a superb blend and unity of history, theology, geography and biographical facts and information. • These men and women never had a meeting about what they were writing; most had never met or even knew each other; they never contacted each other and discussed what they were writing. Yet, the Bible’s content harmonizes and coincides so precisely in so many details regarding what was happening and what was going to happen that it just eludes comprehension! • That alone should have us fall on our faces in humble awe at the greatness of God…and the wisdom, direction, teachings and truths of the Bible underscore that greatness. How can we read about: • Noah and his family being the sole survivors of the flood • Moses parting the Rea Sea • The lepers being healed • Peter walking on water • Mary’s virgin conception, etc., etc. How can we not come to the realization that it wasn’t those people 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. Remember – in the Old Testament accounts, we see that the Spirit of God descended upon them – they did NOT have the Holy Spirit dwelling within but they got the same results of the manifestation of God’s power. Numbers 11:26, “…and the Spirit rested upon them…and they prophesied in the camp” Judges 14:6, “And the Spirit of the Lord came upon him mightily (Samson when the lion attacked), so that he tore him as one tears a kid (small animal) though he had nothing in his hand…” Judges 15:13-15, "So they said to him, 'No, but we will bind you fast and give you into their hands; yet surely we will not kill you.' Then they bound him with two new ropes and brought him up from the rock. When he came to Lehi, the Philistines shouted as they met him. And the Spirit of the Lord came upon him mightily so that the ropes that were on his arms were as flax that is burned with fire, and his bonds dropped from his hands. He found a fresh jawbone of a donkey, so he reached out and took it and killed a thousand men with it." 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. And that is why it is said, “Greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world.” Read 1 John 4:4 out loud together only, this time say ME… “Greater is He that is in ME, than he that is in the world” AGAIN… “Greater is He that is in ME, than he that is in the world” So no more fussing and complaining that you can’t do something… • That you just can’t forgive someone • That you can’t take it anymore in a troubled relationship No more fussing and complaining • That you can’t stick to proper eating habits (uh-oh – gone from preachin’ to meddlin’ now!) • That you can’t be financially wise No more fussing and complaining • That you can’t kick that addiction – whatever it is – food, drugs, alcohol, pornography, gambling etc. No more fussing and complaining • That you can’t break your bad habits • Or that you don’t have time to go to church • Or that you don’t have time for daily prayer and devotions No more fussing and complaining • That you can’t help out with your church and community needs • Or that you just can’t tithe to your church ministry – real tithe – real 10% No more fussing and complaining • That you are sick or tired or confused or doubtful Stop – NO MORE FUSSING AND COMPLAINING! “Greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world.” Matthew 19:26, “…but with God all things are possible.” Luke 18:27, “…The things impossible with men are possible with God.” Philippians 4:13, “I can do all things through Him (Christ Jesus) who strengthens me.” Do you just sing-song repeat these verses? Do you just memorize them as a Sunday School class assignment? Or 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! Let’s say it together one more time – only put the “me” in it again… Greater is He that is in ME than he that is in the world! NOW GO LIVE IT!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. “Rescue me from the mire, do not let me sink; deliver me from those who hate me, from the deep waters.” (Psalm 69:14 NIV) Recently, my wife and I took a beach break for a few days. We stayed in Daytona and visited the local beaches including the Canaveral National Seashore park in Titusville, Florida. Early one morning, I watched as the lifeguards went through their training exercises of swimming and running. You see, in order to be able to save a life you must be trained and fit to do the job; and so it is for believers in Christ. "As a shepherd looks after his scattered flock when he is with them, so will I look after my sheep. I will rescue them from all the places where they were scattered on a day of clouds and darkness." (Ezekiel 34:12 NIV) We must all be prepared to go into the deep waters and stormy seas of the spiritual battle. "He rescues me unharmed from the battle waged against me, even though many oppose me." (Psalm 55:18 NIV) "Though the tide of battle runs strongly against me, for so many are fighting me, yet he will rescue me." (Psalm 55:18 TLB) The Lord tells us to rescue. "Rescue those being led away to death; hold back those staggering toward slaughter." (Proverbs 24:11 NIV) "He sent out his word and healed them; he rescued them from the grave." (Psalm 107:20 NIV) (Listen to entire sermon below.) NOW GO LIVE IT!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. Don't Get Caught Up in the Details of LifeSomeone once said, “As I look back, this is what matters: I have loved and been loved and all the rest is just background music.” Well, that works if you’ve loved and been loved…but some people haven’t had those opportunities…at least not the normal, healthy ones. So what can you do? First, don’t take the bait! The adversary wants you miserable; looking at what you don’t have and what is not yet resolved. Don’t get caught in those details. Fear freezes you in place and you lose out on God’s great adventure. Then, know that love is the answer. Not the squishy, emotional kind of love…that comes and goes. The love that lasts is the love that God is talking about, and we are to love as God has loved us. Review God’s definition of love in 1 Corinthians 13. His perfect love perseveres until it perfects. Thank you Jesus! Take stock of what is really important to you; let God give you His eyesight and viewpoint on your life…don’t let God be the “background music” of your life. Put Him in the front of your life, love Him, and be loved by Him…forever. Note: This sermon includes three handouts, all of which are included below the audio and can be downloaded and printed for your convenience in following along with this message.
Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. I Corinthians 13:4-7 (Listen to entire sermon below.) NOW GO LIVE IT!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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