Tuesday, November 16, 2010

The Recipe...........

Good morning everyone! I hope your Tuesday is going great. I have had a busy last few days. Sunday was amazing at church. Kenny Evans came to sing and preach and we had 11 people accept Christ as their Savior. It was an amazing service! God was in the house. Then Sunday night at youth we had 3 accept Christ as their Savior and numerous other decisions. It was a very powerful day in the Lord's house. I preached on visions, recipes, and directions. God has plans for your life if you are a born again believer. Let's dig into the good stuff and see what it say's about the subject.........

Bible Verse: Jeremiah 29:11 "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

God has a plans for you, a desire, an vision to do something great for Him. Some of them might be small and some great. regardless of the size and how they are implemented they have eternal significance. Why? Because GOD is the author of them!!!! Do you know what your vision is? Listen, It is like a good recipe. God's plan has a detailed set of instructions. You must follow them to produce the desired outcome. Don't fool yourself. We are have opportunities to do something unique for God. Now, here comes the sad part of this devotion. Very few people fulfill God's purpose or vision God has placed on their hearts. Why is that? Most blame their lack of success on God or other people. But, what it really boils down to is us following directions! The directions God has given us. God knows what is best for you and He has a recipe for success just for you!!! Now, the influence of friends and society weigh heavily on our ability to follow the directions to the letter. Most problems arise when we take our eyes off the recipe and/or begin to listen to advice and faulty information. What is your recipe? If you take an ingredient out of a cooking recipe. The recipe doesn't turn out the way it was supposed to. If you use salt instead of sugar it just turns out bad!!! What is God's vision for your life? Are you following the directions?

The Bible say's in Habakkuk 2:2 the Bible say's to write your vision down. It will help you see the steps you need to take to fulfill it! Let's pray that God's will show us what His vision/plan/recipe is for our lives. then let's get to work implementing them. I know He has a good recipe made up for you. Why? because His Word says so!!! Have a great day, I love you, and God bless!!!

Friday, November 12, 2010

The Lord's Supper (Part 2)

Good morning everyone! I am excited about church this Sunday. We have Kenny Evans coming to sing and share the gospel with us. If you have never been blessed by Kenny's gifted voice and awesome testimony you should come join us. I am writing the second part of yesterday's devotion and I hope you can take from it what I did while writing it. This is going to be a little longer devotional than normal but, a very important one. It is very important that we partake of it in the right manner. I hope you can take something from it. Examine yourself and let's dig in...........

Bible verse: Therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the lord's body.

Let me go back to the representation. The bread, represents the flesh of Jesus, is separate from the wine, which represents His blood, and the separation of the blood from the flesh indicates death. A bleeding away of life in the most intense agony. It cost the Lord an immeasurable amount of pain to redeem us from going down into the pit of hell. We take these in remembrance of the death of Christ. Now, what right does an unrepented person have to come in remembrance of the death of Christ. If our eyes have not cried tears of repentance, if we have not truly repented, how can we remember Him who veins cried blood to redeem His people from their sins. It is a grieving heart and a broken spirit that Christ wants at the communion table. Taking communion is an ordinance, an ordinance from God. God wants us to think of Jesus always. We should speak of Him often, we should share witness to the death of Jesus Christ all the time. This is what makes this communion to be the best of ordinances to point us to Christ on the cross.

Before taking communion we should examine ourselves. Here are five ways to examine ourselves.

1.Examine ourselves concerning our knowledge- our saving knowledge, a living knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ.

2.Examine ourselves concerning our faith- trusting alone in the Lord Jesus Christ without hesitating, that our Savior lived, died, and rose again for our sins.

3.Examine ourselves concerning our repentance- Is our heart broken and melted or is stone and hard? Are we broken because of our sins? Have we truly repented all?

4.Examine ourselves concerning our love- Do we truly love our Lord? Ask the Lord " Lord, you know the deepest feelings of my heart, you know all things, you know all my faults, you know that I truly love you." You will know you are worthy to eat at this table is this is true what you say.

5.Examine ourselves concerning your obedience- We must obey the commands of Christ. If we truly love Him, we will keep His commandments. We should desire to sin less and less everyday. Is there any sin which you try to hide away from God? He knows all. We should do our best to become more Christlike everyday. We will never be perfect. But, we can be perfect in weakness and rely on God's wisdom.

After we examine ourselves and if we find we are worthy to take communion. We should ask God to clear our minds and let us focus entirely on Christ's life, death, and resurrection while taking communion. We should keep our thoughts on Christ. We should ask God to help us strap or thoughts to the cross. We should take communion service reverently, humbly, and sincerely to show Christ's death.

There is law from God on how often or when we should take communion. The Lord leaves it up to us to search our hearts on how often we should break bread and drink the blood of Jesus. After studying the subject I believe we should take it more often.

Here is the thing, don't let superstition be the reason you take communion. It is far worse to take communion and not be saved and know the true reason for doing this. In remembrance of our dear Lord and Savior. We shouldn't feel because we are church members that we should come to the communion table or because others are doing it. We need to come after serious thought. We need to prepare our hearts to take part in this ordinance from God. We need to have fellowship with Christ.

I know this has been a long devotional but, I have studied on this great subject and learned so very much. God has opened my eyes and my heart. I hope this will help do the same for you. Have a great day, I love you, and God bless!

Thursday, November 11, 2010

The Lord's Supper (Part 1)


Good morning everyone! First, Our Men's Only Night/Wild game night will be meeting this Saturday at 6:30pm at Rose Bailey Lake in Kingston. Second, I was talking yesterday with my partner at work about the Lord's Supper. I had really studied on the Lord's supper in the Bible and the writings of Charles Spurgeon, a late 1800's pastor for about three years ago and was totally blessed by God's Word to find out the true significance of the eating of the bread (Christ's body) and the drinking of the wine (Christ's blood) is not understood by some. And if understood, sometimes becomes ceremonial for some or just something to do on good Friday or when our church offers it. I am going to dive into this subject and I will send it to you in two sections. Today and tomorrow. Partly because it is lengthy and partly for you to soak it in a little at a time. God bless and I hope this touches you as it did me. Let's dig in.........

Bible verse: Matthew 26:26 And as they were eating, Jesus took the bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said, "Take, eat; this is My body." Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, "Drink from it, all of you. For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.

Have you ever thought, what if Christ had never came to earth to die for our sins? Without Christ, where would Christianity be or would there even be Christianity, if He never came to earth? Jesus Christ is the center of Christianity. Without Him it is a mere shell or empty bottle. Christ is the central truth of the Gospel. Our Lord Jesus instituted this supper in order to keep this truth on our minds, because this is the truth above all truths. that is vital to the gospel.

The blood of Christ. So powerful that it will wash away all of our sins. Everything from not telling the truth to murder. How powerful is that. C.H Spurgeon said in one of his sermon's "What arrow will ever pierce the heart of sin unless it is dipped in the blood of Jesus?" Sin, look at Christ and all the sin that was punished on Him, then you should really see the evilness of it.

When I see Christ dying on the cross for my sins. When I look at the pain, suffering, and grief that he received on my behalf, I see the reason that I should make great sacrifices in order to glorify Him. Have you made any great sacrifices for Christ lately? The death of Jesus Christ is the #1 sin killer. If you truly know and understand that, then you will feel its sanctifying power. I have wrote this so far to bring our focus on the sacrifice of His body and blood that Christ did for you and for me. I will follow in tomorrows devotion/blog more on the Lord's supper. Have a great day, I love you, and God bless!

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

Let's be mountain goats.........

Good morning friends! Did you have a good day yesterday? I want to tell you that when you get on that mountain top from maybe.......A great weekend on a retreat with the Lord. Then satan is going to do everything he can to bring you down and hard. If something like this has happened to you I want you have a hope that is alive! See your enemy for what he is. Prepare for battle. Cling to that mountain top and let your light shine bright. Let's dig into the good stuff..........

Bible Verse: 1 Peter 1:3 "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to His abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead."

Have you ever really thought about God's plan for your life? What kind of life does He want you to have? God want's you to have an abundant life. This is His plan for you. In fact, it's God's plan for all of us as Christians. Jesus promised us in John 10:10, "I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly". Now, what is abundant life? It is life where all of your needs are met. But more than that, abundant life is where you have enough to bless others. Not only do you receive a blessing, but you are a blessing. I have seen so many that bless others with what they have and it is really cool to see what God is doing in their lives. At the same time the devil wants to steal that away from them. He want to make them fearful and broken. I have one thing to say "No, say's I". Here is the deal the abundant life that Jesus promised is not just life out yonder "in the sweet by and by." It is abundant life right now in the nasty, messed up now and now. Every day in every way we are to be having victory in and through the Jesus! Let me ask you a question. Who in your life is not experiencing the abundant life? Your mother? Your husband? Your best friend? Take time out today to encourage them with this promise in 1 Peter. Let's stay firmly on the mountain top like a mountain goat and experience that abundant life together. Have a great day, I love you, and God bless!!

Monday, November 8, 2010

Just say "no" to Sunday couch potatoes........

Good morning everyone! Man, What a weekend! We took 70 on our S.W.A.T. Youth Retreat and God totally showed up and showed out. We had six youth accept Jesus as their Savior and the next night 12 that had never made that public profession about accepting Jesus stood to let the world know! Our speakers were right on time with their messages and allowed God to use them in a mighty way. bridges were build between the new youth and the older youth that brought a smile to my face. I saw so many wonderful things happen and must give God all the praise and glory. I also must thank everyone that helped make this retreat happen. The leaders, sponsors, bus/van drivers, pastors, and the church! Thanks you. Today I want to share my heart a little. I don't know why some think that they can do it on there own and don't need to gather together but, let's dig into the good stuff and see what it says...........

Bible Verse: Hebrews 10:25 "Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching."

I have preached this message before and for some it is like.....duh!!!! I know you shouldn't forsake coming together. For others.....They say "I used to go to church but, they have some story to share that makes it ok not come. Others say "I don't need the church. I worship on my own." Have you looked around? Do you know what is happening in America today? Heck, Roane County? People who claim to be Christians are not getting involved and becoming faithful to a church, the local fellowship of believers. Such a thing was unheard of in the Bible. If you were a Christian, you were faithful to the fellowship. You attended when everyone gathered together. If you stopped attending, they assumed that you were an apostate (which means guilty of something). What is more important than the local visible expression of the body of Christ? It is the way we stay "plugged in" to the needs of the body of Christ. It is the way we show honor to Him in worship. It is simply the way. So many have become couch potatoes on Sunday morning because they are tired. Now, are there reasons that you can't attend church? Sure, there are many but, if we examine our reasons for not attending would God say "I understand" or "You can do it, I have faith in you"? Let's get plugged in! God can use you in a mighty way. I promise!! Have a great day, I love you, and God bless


Monday, November 1, 2010

Focus....Focus....Focus....

Hello friends and neighbors! We had an awesome night at youth last night. We had 48 come to fellowship with us. One young man that rode his bike for the second week in a row about 10 miles to come to youth. What an inspiration! I made arrangements with him to get him picked up and dropped off from now on. Some really good news too! We have a new brother and sister in Christ now!!!! A young man came with a lot on his shoulders and God gave this young man some refuge last night. He prayed to accept Christ and have eternal assurance! The young lady has been through a lot and now KNOWS she is going to heaven. Why does God surprise me???? Our service last night was on running the race.....I want to share a little. Let's dig into the good stuff.......

Bible Verse: Philippians 3:14 - "I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus."

When a runner is running, he puts his eyes on the goal or finish line. He doesn't look at the grandstand, the other runners, or behind him. Neither does he examine himself. He has his eyes forward. He looks away from everything else. The finish line is all he sees. Well, that is what God wants us to do. Whenever we look behind us or around when we are running. We really increase our chances for stumbling, slowing down, or falling. Listen, God wants us to keep our eyes on the prize. That's exactly what we're to do. The reason that many Christians fail in the race is that they have not learned to look away from other things. They're trying to look in both directions at the same time, and James 1:8 says, "A double minded man is unstable in all his ways." And Matthew 6:22 says, "If therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light." We should also cut loose every weight that slows us down. This might be addictions, activities, or maybe even some friends. I know that is hard to say but, if your friends are causing you to go down wrong roads or be places you shouldn't. maybe you need to limit your time with them or just cut them loose. Are you eyes on the prize today? Are you running the race or are you on the sidelines? Where is your focus today? Has the world drawn you back into itself and luring you away from the Lord? Read Matthew 28:19-20. That's your goal. Have a great day, I love you, and God bless!!