In the last two weeks we have seen decades of bad laws reversed
Our 2nd amendment rights were protected
Abortion laws were overturned
Prayer in school was protected
I heard it referred to as a month of horrors but I believe it was a month of celebration
However, our country still has a long way to go to get back to God
Happy Independence day weekend!
Our great country was founded based on the freedom of Religion
Way back in the old testament, God showed a nation that it could only survive if it followed the Law
That law we know as the 10 commandments
Our very own country’s laws were originally based in the 10 commandments
Today, I want us to look at the most important way we can serve God and Country
We call this the Great Commandment
Love God and Love your neighbor
The first thing we all have to do for God and for Country is Love God with all our everything
How is this going to be good for serving our country?
If you love God with all that you have, you will walk with Him and He will direct your path
If God directs your path you will live the love of God and not get caught up in all the division
The biggest problem we have as a Nation is not all the division among the lost but among the saved
God’s people need to act like God’s people and live the love of God
Love your neighbor as yourself means to love like God loves
Jesus says we respect our Nation and God
We follow the laws of the land in a way that is pleasing to God
Our Nation is a Nation because brave men and women sought freedom to worship
When we think about Independence day it is important to remember why
With all it’s flaws, the United States of America is still the greatest country in the world!
But, always remember our first devotion is not to country but to God
If we truly lived the great commandment and loved God with everything and loved our neighbor as self,
The whole Nation would see how badly they need God
How can you live the great commandment unless you know the one it is about?
- Jul 3, 2022God & Country
God & Country
In the last two weeks we have seen decades of bad laws reversed
Our 2nd amendment rights were protected
Abortion laws were overturned
Prayer in school was protected
I heard it referred to as a month of horrors but I believe it was a month of celebration
However, our country still has a long way to go to get back to God
Happy Independence day weekend!
Our great country was founded based on the freedom of Religion
Way back in the old testament, God showed a nation that it could only survive if it followed the Law
That law we know as the 10 commandments
Our very own country’s laws were originally based in the 10 commandments
Today, I want us to look at the most important way we can serve God and Country
We call this the Great Commandment
Love God and Love your neighbor
The first thing we all have to do for God and for Country is Love God with all our everything
How is this going to be good for serving our country?
If you love God with all that you have, you will walk with Him and He will direct your path
If God directs your path you will live the love of God and not get caught up in all the division
The biggest problem we have as a Nation is not all the division among the lost but among the saved
God’s people need to act like God’s people and live the love of God
Love your neighbor as yourself means to love like God loves
Jesus says we respect our Nation and God
We follow the laws of the land in a way that is pleasing to God
Our Nation is a Nation because brave men and women sought freedom to worship
When we think about Independence day it is important to remember why
With all it’s flaws, the United States of America is still the greatest country in the world!
But, always remember our first devotion is not to country but to God
If we truly lived the great commandment and loved God with everything and loved our neighbor as self,
The whole Nation would see how badly they need God
How can you live the great commandment unless you know the one it is about?
- Jun 26, 2022Unbearable Heat
Unbearable Heat
Have you been enjoying the Heat lately?
We have had new record high temps all over our area just this week.
I don’t know about you but all this heat made me think about one thing...
HELL!
So many people go through life never giving the existence of Hell one thought
For those who believe the Word of God, thinking about hell should cause us to work even harder to reach people
For those who have never made a decision to follow Christ, the thought of hell should be terrifying
There are those who argue, “a loving God wouldn’t send anyone to Hell”
To that I say you are right. But unrepentant people send themselves to hell
Today I want to look at several scriptures that tell us about hell
Hell is a place of eternal torment and agony
“Where the worm does not die and the fire is not quenched”
In this chapter in Mark that phrase is repeated 3 times! Do you think it is important?
“In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth”
Have you ever seen a dog that is in terrible pain?
The outer darkness is also a reference to hell as indicated by weeping and gnashing of teeth
Have you ever sat in total darkness for an extended period of time?
There are months in Alaska where the sun never shines and the depression rate is off the charts
Total darkness can make you feel as if you are being crushed to death.
How hot will hell be?
This fire was so hot the guards died just getting near it. We have to believe hell is hotter than that.
We’ve already established that the fire is not only hot but unquenchable meaning it never burns out
The point today is that hell is real and those who do not accept Jesus send themselves there.
There is good news!
1 Thessalonians 1:9-10 NASBJesus saves us from the wrath to come.
To perish means to spend eternity in Hell
Good news God did not send Jesus in the world to condemn the world but to save it.
Today if you are here or watching online you still have the opportunity to accept Jesus
“whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life”
That eternal life is in heaven with Jesus!
- Jun 22, 2022Bible Study – 1 John 3:7-24
Bible Study – 1 John 3:7-24
- Jun 19, 2022A Father’s Blessing
A Father’s Blessing
- Jun 15, 2022Bible Study – 1 John 3:1-7
Bible Study – 1 John 3:1-7
- Jun 12, 2022God Or Google
God Or Google
A recent study of adults in the United Kingdom found they checked their smartphone every 12 minutes
I personally believe, today, in the US, it is probably closer to every 5 minutes
A recent commercial uses this to ask “ever wonder what all those people are doing on their phones”
The title of the message today is God or Google
The question is – Who do you turn to first?
It has been said that, if Google were to suddenly go away, a whole generation of young people would be lost
The reality is, it isn’t just young people!
This passage is about having confidence that you can take everything to God and He will answer
I asked the question "God or Google?", because too many believers ask Google instead of asking God
Understand that Google is people who have selected possible answers for random questions
Google isn’t your creator that knows you intimately
Yet many people would rather just Google it than to get on their knees and give it to God
John wrote this so that you may know you have eternal life.
I asked Google “How can I have eternal life?”
I received 201 million possible answers
I asked God “How can I have eternal life?”
One answer! The true answer!
Don’t get me wrong, Google can help you find out some things, but it is not always right!
You see there is never a time that God is unreachable
We know, without a doubt, that, when we pray, God hears us.
When He hears us, He will answer
Romans 10:9 gives you a definite answerGoogle gives you possible answers
The point I’m trying to make here today is the same point I was making Wednesday night
We have got to live Godly and not worldly lives
If we are believers, why are we not going straight to the creator first and always for the answers we need?
What if we talked to God every five minutes during a day instead of our smartphone?
What if “knee” mail became more important than email?
What if we in this world, truly trusted God more than Google
What a huge difference that would make in our world
Are you ready to do that today?
- Jun 8, 2022Bible Study – 1 John 2:15-29
Bible Study – 1 John 2:15-29
- Jun 5, 2022In The World
In The World
Have you ever just wished you could get away from all the junk in the world and have your own private world?
You’re not alone!
The truth is that if you know Jesus as Savior you are not of the world.
Because you are not of the world, the world hates you!
This is the main reason that we, as believers, desperately want to be apart from the world.
Take heart because the world hates you just like the world hates your Father
If we were comfortable in the world, it would mean we were not of our Father
Notice that Jesus says He did not ask to take us out of the world
Some believers want to hide away from all things and just be out of touch
This is not what Jesus said. He said He didn’t want us taken out of the world, just protected from the evil one
So if we aren’t intended to be taken out of the world, what does that mean?
Once again Jesus says we are not of the world as He is not of the world.
Why is something repeated in scripture?
For emphasis! Jesus says twice we are not of this world.
Then in vs 17 Jesus asks the Father to sanctify them in the truth
He also emphasizes the fact that God is the truth.
Don’t take them out of the world, just sanctify them, meaning prepare them in truth.
One of the reasons that God’s people would rather be out of the world is they aren’t spending time in His Word
Instead of spending time wishing we could get out, spend time studying why we are here.
Pay very close attention to vs 18Jesus says He has sent us into the world.
If He sent us, why are we trying to get out of it.
This passage shows that God’s people are to be in the world but not of the world
We, as a the human race, spend large amounts of time trying to get out of stuff
Probably if we spent more time just doing things instead of hiding we would all be more joyful
If Jesus says He sent us into the world then isn’t it about time we obeyed and went out trying to reach people
Instead of hiding in the safety of the church walls, let us Go and Tell!
Join me today in praying that God will reveal to us where and how we need to go
Are you ready to be part of this awesome family?
- Jun 1, 2022Bible Study – 1 John 2:1-14
Bible Study – 1 John 2:1-14
- May 29, 2022Peace
Peace
This is a time when we remember all the brave men and women that gave their lives for our Freedoms!
There is something about that….it took people before us to give us the freedom to live!
I will always celebrate my fallen brothers and sisters and the legacy they left behind
Today, however, I want us to look at another who died for ALL
This is Jesus who died for ALL
He spoke these things so that we might have peace.
What things? Vs 29-32Jesus said in vs 33 “in Me you may have peace” It is because of his death, burial and resurrection that peace was possible Peace from the desires of Satan because Jesus was greater In the United States today, we can have peace because of those who paid the price for us. Because they were willing to fight for the freedom to become “One Nation Under God” Because they were willing to fight that you may be able to execute the free will that God gave us As wonderful as that is, only Jesus death, burial and resurrection granted us real freedom…..from the penalty of sin. Jesus said “in Me you may have peace, in the world you will have tribulation.” The peace that we all so desperately seek is available but the world tries to block it from you In the world, we have senseless slaughter of children both unborn and born We have evil that is more celebrated than good. We have immoral and illegal acts that are everyday cast as “normal” or even “good” How can we look at our world today and find any peace? Our men and women, that gave their lives for this country, gave everyone freedom but some misuse it Jesus gave us freedom from the very sin that we commit which gives ultimate peace In fact, even after He said there will be trouble in the world He said “take courage, I have overcome the world” Today, in all the anxiety of this wicked lost world, remember Jesus has overcome! Today you may be still anxious because you do not know Jesus My question is, are you ready for peace? Know Jesus Know Peace No Jesus No Peace - May 25, 2022Bible Study – 1 John 1:4-10
Bible Study – 1 John 1:4-10
- May 22, 2022God Provides
God Provides
Perhaps today you are very concerned about all the mess going on in the worldThere are real problems that are very scary especially to consumers
This isn’t the first time people have been scared and concerned about their immediate future
The Israelites had finally been released from the bonds of slavery only now afraid they will starve to death in the wilderness
It is a natural thing as humans to fret when we see situations that seem impossible to overcome.
BUT GOD!!!
Even today our heavenly Father knows what we need and he will take care of us
The Israelites were desperate and they began to grumble against God but God said, I got this.
Nothing is impossible with God!
That still applies today!
The people heard what was said but they had yet to experience it.
It as if God said to the people, watch this!
He provided meat in the evening and what was eventually called Manna in the morning.
Neither of these things could have been done by men but God provides
Has there ever been a time in your life when you didn’t know how you were going to make it and something unexpected happened?
BUT GOD!!
He always does it in His way and perhaps we can’t even understand
“What is it?”
In Hebrew that phrase “what is it?” translates to “Ma’n Hu? Which we pronounce as Manna
Notice how the people gathered different amounts but it was exactly what they needed
Even though we don’t always understand, God provides exactly what we need, exactly when we need it.
Today I want us to understand that even in these uncertain times, God Provides
Instead of living fearful we can trust God to see us through.
So the only question is, do you know the God that Provides?
