•11:00 AM
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•9:30 AM
by Tom Smith
(taken from Wooddale Church of Christ)
I wanted to share this Article By Ron Daly with you.
Do you love God?
How much?
Are you willing to be fully committed to him in every way?
Is there anything you would not do for God (Mark 12:29-30)?
We live in a world that is constantly at war, at war with sin (2 Corinthians 10:3-6).
Whose side are you on?
Can God count on you to increase your knowledge of his word so you can defend it against false teachers and their disciples?
"You must continue growing in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ" (2 Peter 3:18).
God wants us to go beyond a state of spiritual infancy and advance to maturity (Hebrews 5:11-14).
We do this when we pray, study, and apply the Scriptures (Acts 17:11).
Will you resolve to study the Scriptures on a daily basis?
Can God count on you to defend the truth against every foe?
Too many people will defend the gospel if someone they do not like is perverting it. But, if one of their friends perverts God's word, they tend to be very tolerant, or they will make excuses for them.
When truth is at stake, we should have no friends except God.
Do you find yourself wetting a finger and sticking it in the air to see which way the wind is blowing before you take a stand on a controversial issue?
The Bible says stand (Ephesians 6:13-14; Jude 3)!
Can God count on you to take an active role in the work and worship of the local congregation?
God has not placed the responsibility for building up the local congregation on the shoulders of only one person. The evangelist's role is to preach the word (2 Timothy 4:1-5); the elders oversee (Acts 20:17, 28-32); the deacons serve (Acts 6:1-6), and everybody is to work!
As the old timers used to say, "Don't no one monkey run no show."
In short, everybody's got to work if we are going to grow.
Can God count on you to be uncompromising in the fight against sin, shame, and immorality?
When people in the work place laugh at homosexuality, unscriptural multiple marriages, the use of alcohol and drugs among the nation's youth, teen pregnancy out of wedlock, do you go with the flow or do you plead God's case (1 Corinthians 6:9-10; Galatians 5:9-21)?
If God can count on you, prove it!
•8:00 AM
by Tom Smith, Wooddale Church of Christ
Someone has written, "There is no more insidious danger than the lure of the good enough."
This is particularly true in the realm of the spiritual.
Self-satisfaction is the mother of complacency. Complacency is the mother of sloth. And sloth brings condemnation.
Well did Paul warn Christians, "For if anyone thinks himself to be something when he is nothing, he deceives himself" (Galatians 6:3).
One who thinks he knows enough will cease to study.
One who thinks he gives enough will not increase his giving.
One who thinks he does enough will cease from doing.
The feeling that we are "good enough" is the grave of growth.
Growth is the law of life.
Like Paul of old, we should rather say, "I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 3:13-14).
Like an old Scots preacher, we should pray: "Lord, keep me alive as long as I live."
Let us not be seduced by "the lure of the good enough."
•8:00 AM
by J. Raymond Pecoraro, Wooddale Church of Christ
When a child of God matures in his or her walk with the Father in heaven, he or she sees themselves becoming smaller & smaller as they progress.
Self is soon overtaken by the magnitude of the Lord.
All else soon becomes insignificant because God is in control of their lives.
The best way to know whether or not a person is a true follower of the Lord is by observation.
They will talk less about themselves & more about Jesus.
A good example of this is John the Baptist in Mark 1:4-5, “John came baptizing in the wilderness & preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins. Then all the land of Judea, & those from Jerusalem, went out to him & were baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins."
John’s ministry was exceptionally a success!
Why?
The answer is that John the Baptist understood that his ministry wasn’t designed to bring attention to himself.
In verse 7 of Mark, chapter 1, he said, “And he preached saying, ‘There comes One after me who is mightier than I, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to stoop down & loose.”
It matters not what your status is in this world.
It is not the world that we are trying to please!
Christians must endeavor to seek & strive to please the Saviour!
Therefore, we give way to the Lord because He paid the sin debt for us!
God doesn’t look for those with earthly accomplishments, but for those who have humble hearts & bow before the authority of His Word.
It is only when we forget about one’s self do we draw closer to the Lord for that intimate relationship that all Christians should long for!
We mustn’t concern ourselves with the opinions of the world.
We should hunger & thirst after the Lord for the wonderful things He has accomplished in our lives!
This includes the glorious preparations made in our stead for all eternity!
We are all made in God’s wonderful image (Genesis 1:26, 27), & we also have the freedom of choice when it comes to whom we want to serve. (Joshua 24:19-28).
While it is true we have the freedom of choice because we are not robots, we cannot choose the consequences of our choice. The consequences are already set by our Father in heaven. And He has made known what the consequences for choosing disobedience are & that is eternal condemnation. The rewards are also made known by a good & loving God.
Faithful obedience brings eternal rewards in heaven.
It appears that the right decision is clear.
Faithful service to the Lord not only benefits everyone in this life, but also beyond when this life ceases.
It is our earnest prayer that the right choice be made today!
God loves each & every one of His creation who are made after His likeness.
Are you willing to bring your broken life to the Great Physician for true healing?
•8:00 AM
by Richard Mansel,
of Forthright Magazine
Being a father is an extremely important job and one of the most rewarding on earth.
When we choose to have children, we are tasked to "bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord" (Ephesians 6:4).
Nothing else is more important than raising our children in the Lord and being with them in heaven forever (Proverbs 22:6).
We cannot overstate the gravity of the situation.
Are we taking it seriously?
Are we asking what kind of people we are raising to send out into the world?
Will they be a blessing or a menace?
Will they be prepared for living alone?
Even secular authorities who have looked askance at men in the past have begrudgingly admitted that fathers are indispensable to children.
Statistics are overwhelming that children thrive when they have an active father.
But what kind should they have?
A complete father is intimately involved in the lives of his children.
He has a career and the responsibilities as head of the home (Ephesians 5:22-23), but he also has children that need him.
He will develop a resilient bond with them that is built on trust and unconditional love (1 Corinthians 13:4-7).
Children will know they have their father's heart and ear anytime they need it.
He will be their steady rock who will admit when he is wrong and work to improve and grow.
They will laugh, play and talk.
He will know something of their friends, with the help of his wife, and how they spend their time.
A complete father will know his children better than they know themselves.
He will study them, knowing their strengths, weaknesses and what they need from him.
He will help his daughters become ladies and instruct them fully about men, dating, life and the traps of each. His sons will learn strength, knowledge, life-skills and an occupation from him. They will learn to be men of God who will lead their homes.
The complete father will model a spiritual leader and instruct his children in how to pray, teach, forgive, love and deal with others.
Even as they leave the home, his reach will continue into their future paths.
He will be what his children need and their friends will wish he were their Dad.
He will make a difference that will extend to future generations and into eternity.
•8:00 AM
By: J. Raymond Pecoraro, Wooddale Church of Christ
God makes a promise.
Faith believes it.
Hope anticipates it.
Patience awaits it.
No truer words were ever spoken by man!
God’s children do not know what the future holds, but they know the One who holds the future, & in whose hands reposes all power in heaven & in earth: “He is able to subdue all things unto Himself.” (Phil. 3:21).
What a joy & a privilege it is to have the Creator pilot the Christian’s life.
We can stand on the solid Rock of our salvation without fear or wanting knowing that He will never forsake or leave us destitute!
Jesus said, “Come unto Me, all ye that labor & are heavy laden, & I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you, & learn of Me; for I am meek & lowly in heart: & ye shall find rest unto your souls. For My yoke is easy, & My burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30).
What a comfort knowing that our Saviour is in control of our universe!
What a comfort & assurance knowing that nothing will come up today or tomorrow that the Lord cannot handle.
No situation, whether big or small, is out of the realm of the Father’s control!
The apostle Paul said that “he knew in whom he believeth.” (II Tim. 1:12).
Paul didn’t fear the present or the future because his trust, confidence, & faith assured him that God was in charge!
The phrase, “Able to save to the uttermost,” does not refer to the depths of sin from which Christ has lifted us, but rather to the extremity of time to which Christ can carry us. There is, of course, no limit either way, but this verse has to do only with the “completion” of our salvation. It tells us that temptation, trials, tests, & victories, until He presents us faultless before the throne at the end of life! (Hebrews 7:25).
John the Revelator tells us, “Be thou faithful unto death & we shall receive the Crown of Life.” (Rev. 2:10).
God promises us the victory through Christ if we remain steadfast & unmovable. (Matthew 10:22; I Cor. 15:58; I Cor. 16:13).
“God Manifested in His Works” (Romans 1:20):
Is there a God? Yon rising sun
In answer meet replies,
Writes it in flame upon the earth,
Proclaims it round the skies.
Is there a God? Hark! From on high
His thunder shakes the poles;
I hear His voice in every wind,
In every wave that rolls.
Is there a God? With sacred fear
I upward turn my eyes;
“There is,” each glitt’ing lamp of Light ---
If such conviction to my mind His works aloud impart,
Oh, let the wisdom of His word
Inscribe them on my heart. (Selected).
•9:17 AM
by J. Raymond Pecoraro, Wooddale Church of Christ
According to Wikipedia a “marionette” is a “puppet controlled from above using wires or strings.” A marionette’s puppeteer is called a “manipular.” Therefore a marionette is only able to do what the manipular allows it to do. A pull on a string or wire here or there the puppeteer can get the puppet to do almost anything.
While it may be entertaining to all of us, it isn’t entertaining for humans to fall into such a predicament.
In my preaching experience I hear people say this is exactly how they feel. They are pulled in every direction and they just go with the pull from their manipular.
God didn’t intend for any of us who are made in His awesome image (Gen. 1:26, 27) to be manipulated in such a way.
We were all given a mind which is much higher than those of all other creatures that He created!
Make no mistake about this!
If He wanted us to be controlled from below, He would have come up with the idea of creating “marionettes.”
I tell people who feel this way to check all around them to see if they see or feel any strings or wires attached to them. And to their surprise, they cannot see nor feel any type of attachment.
(Yes, even Satan is a manipular).
God, Himself, doesn’t control us in such a way.
He established rules for a peaceful life & not just a mere existence.
Provided we are willing to become obedient to the One who knows us best.
But God didn’t attach strings to us, otherwise we would be mindless robots.
Having said this, I would like to call your attention to the fact that “decisions determine direction.”
Joshua of old said, “And if it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the river; or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me & my house, we will serve the Lord.” (Joshua 24:15). Direction will determine our final destiny. Jesus said, “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate & broad is the way that leads to destruction, & there are many who go in that way. Because narrow is the gate & difficult is the way which leads to life, & there are few who find it.” (Matthew 7:13, 14).
While God allows us to make choices, we must make the right one in order to avoid the terrible consequences of the wrong one!
There is a heaven to gain & a hell to shun!
Here are some examples of how people are “marionettes.”
They allow the world & the things in to guide them away from serving the Lord:
1. A certain rich man allowed a material manipular to pull him in a direction away from God. (Luke 12:17-20). He was called a “FOOL” by the Lord.
2. King Nebuchadnezzar allowed power to cloud his mind. (Dan. 4:30-37). He was made to graze like the cattle in the field.
3. Felix trembled because he didn’t want to relinquish control to the Lord. (Acts 24:25). He thought he knew better on how to pilot his life. (Most people have the same mind-set today).
4. Then there was King Agrippa (Acts 26:28), the prodigal son (Luke 15), & on & on the list goes!
The apostle Paul said, “Let no man seek his own, but every man another’s wealth (interest) … I please all men, not seeking mine own.” (I Cor. 10:24-33; cp. Phil. 2:4).
We must all submit, willingly to God’s righteousness. (Rom. 10:3).
This will then become a winning situation for everyone.
Please don’t allow public opinion rule you or pull you in directions you really don’t want or need to go.
We will all stand on judgment day before a just God either with the Lord or we stand alone!
The latter isn’t best!
•10:34 AM
Hurtful Words, Spoken
The human tongue can do so much damage. It can ruin friendships, cause misunderstandings and put a wall between brothers and sisters. We have all been guilty of saying hurtful things. We must be ever mindful that what we say can damage and cause divisions - and therefore not to speak critically. A lot of what we say is probably best left unsaid.
We have also been hurt by hurtful words - some more than others. In many cases the damage is so deep that it takes a long time to heal, and in some cases people never heal. But we know that if we belong to Jesus, He can heal us as we surrender it to Him. Nothing is impossible for Him to heal - if we allow Him to. There are so many Adults carrying around hurts from childhood 'verbal abuse'. We need to deal with these things. The hurt gets buried deep, but God has a way of bringing it to the surface. It's painful, but needful to truly be healed and set free from the affects of negative, hateful words.
The saying 'Sticks and stones may break my bones, but names will never hurt me', is not true, and in-fact it's quite the opposite. Bones can heal a whole lot faster than words spoken over us. If you are struggling with the pain of having negative, abusive and hurtful words spoken over you, will you give it over to God today? Let Him heal you and place His love in your heart toward those who have hurt you. Forgive them and let it go. I know often it can come back echoing in our minds - but refuse to listen. One helpful thing I've been realizing lately, is to find out from the word of God what God thinks of me. Meditate on Scriptures about God's love for us, that we are Sons and Daughters of the most high God (Ephesians 1:4-5; Romans 8:14-17), Kings and Priests (1 Peter 2:9-10), and so on. Ask God to show you and direct you to scriptures like these. Meditate and memorize them until you believe it - and not doubt your importance and significance to God. Because you are important to God. You are His precious child - the 'Apple of His eye'. (Zechariah 2:8). Believe it!
Set a guard, O Lord, before my mouth; keep watch at the door of my lips. - Psalm 141:3
•10:35 AM
Wooddale Church of Christ
Why bother with attending bible classes and worship assemblies?
What's the use?
Why get up and go at all?
Is it just a habit?
Is it because "church" is where you are supposed to be on Sunday mornings?
What about Sunday nights, or Wednesday evenings?
It is a lot of trouble to get to bible class at the "unearthly" hour of 9:00 in the morning (even though most of us routinely arrive at school or work by 8:00, if not earlier!)
It is also just utterly unreasonable for the elders to expect us to delay supper until 6:30, just so we can gather and worship with the saints again on Sunday evenings.
Of course it "goes without saying" that Wednesday nights don't "count," especially if you had a hard day at work, or the kids have homework, or their ball team has practice!
So why bother at all?
We assemble together as God’s people to worship Him — Jesus said we are to worship "...in spirit and in truth" (Jn. 4:24), and the truth is that God’s word instructs us to be present in the assembling of the saints (Heb. 10:25).
Worshipping together helps us grow in the faith (2 Pet. 3:19), and builds us up spiritually ("Let all things be done unto edifying" 1 Cor. 14:26).
Now, if some among us are SO spiritually mature they don’t "need" to be built up, perhaps those could afford to skip worshipping with their brethren; but skipping an opportunity to gather with fellow-Christians, in the Lord’s presence (Mt. 18:20; 28:20, etc.), certainly does not strengthen us or build us up spiritually!
How can we obey the command to "teach and admonish" one another (in psalms, hymns and spiritual songs, Eph. 5:19 & Col. 3:16) if we aren’t together?
1 Timothy 2:1 and James 5:16 speak of praying for one another, but how can we do this when we don’t know who needs our prayers (because we didn’t think we "needed" to attend the assembly!)?
Prayer is our means of communicating with God (Phil. 4:6), and Acts 12:5 shows us an example of the power that massed prayers can have with God.
But why "bother" with the instructions of God in this matter?
Among the several very good reasons we come together on Sundays is the opportunity to participate in the Lord’s Supper.
We learn from Acts 20:7 that it is one of the main reasons the original Christians met on Sundays. Furthermore, the apostle instructs us to participate in this memorial in a reverent manner, considering what it represents for Christians (1 Cor. 11:27-29). The Lord’s Supper is a memorial. It is a key part of our worship to God, a reminder to commemorate Christ’s love for us — it reminds us that He gladly substituted His life for ours (Phil. 2:7-8, John 10:17-18), and in this memory we should be motivated to offer better service in His kingdom.
But why "bother" to remember our Savior’s death each week?
When we consider the reasons we each ought to be present and participating when the saints gather together on the Lord’s day, we need to think about and plan for the opportunity we will have to "lay by in store" a generous portion of the material blessings God has showered upon us! This is the method He established in the New Testament for Christians to materially and financially support the work of His church (Luke 6:38; Romans 12:8; 2 Corinthians 9:7).
The simple fact is that we miss an opportunity to give a portion of our blessings for the Lord’s work when we "don’t want to be ‘bothered’" with being present among God’s people on His day!
Now consider the main purpose of attending bible classes, as well as one of the reasons to attend on Sunday evenings and Wednesdays: We can study together from God’s word! Proverbs 27:17 tells us that "Iron sharpens iron," and Christians should be present for bible classes and worship times so that we can a) please our God by learning and growing, 2 Timothy 2:15, and b) equip ourselves to answer any questions about our faith (1 Peter 3:15). By studying together from God’s word, we accumulate spiritual strength and understanding to equip us for the week ahead — this means we should be present (and prepared, with bible, notepad and pen!) each time "the doors are opened!"
We need to attend on Sunday mornings ... and on Sunday evenings, and even on Wednesday nights too!
When we "just can’t be ‘bothered,’" what our actions are really saying is that we don’t want to make an effort to grow spiritually!
A final reason (at least, for this article!) for Christians to be faithful and consistent in attendance is this: When we assemble together, we have an opportunity to savor the fellowship which is part of our Christian birthright!
That fellowship, our association together, is meant to strengthen and unite us!
This earthly life we live presents Christians with all kinds of trials and temptations; we certainly don’t need to meet those things with the added disadvantage of being "spiritually run-down!"
Take a moment and think about the words of king David in the book of Psalms (133:1); "Behold, how good and how pleasant it is For brethren to dwell together in unity!"
The apostle Paul instructs us (in Galatians 6:2) to "bear one another’s burdens," but we need to stop occasionally, and consider the fact that there’s no way we can do that if we don’t see one another! How can we "Let love of the brethren continue" (emphasis mine) if we don’t (or won’t) "bother" to meet together?
The point we want to emphasize is quite simple: When we aren’t present for bible classes or worship assemblies, we miss opportunities to grow spiritually — to be strengthened.
Furthermore, we fail in our responsibility to "build up" fellow-Christians and strengthen each other in the face of trials and temptations.
Our spiritual opponent, Satan, can find no sweeter "meal" than the soul of a tepid, uncommitted, unfaithful, spiritually uneducated Christian.
THIS is why it’s important (no; essential!) for all of us to attend faithfully, and not abandon "... the assembling of ourselves together ...."
"Why ‘bother’ indeed!"
•9:59 AM
•10:04 AM
It's normal for us to be concerned about the things that come up in life, but if we give it over to God we're supposed to let it go and let Him handle it.
He created the world.
He created us.
He knows what He's doing and doesn't need our help with anything.
Have a problem you can't solve?
Overwhelmed with the cares of this world?
Burdened with trouble?
Give it to Him and leave it there!
•1:00 PM
Let's consider some.
"But, Lord, what about all of the good that I have done?" - - -
This sounds like Matthew 7:22 "Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not done many wonderful works?"
But what will Jesus say?
"I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity" (Matthew 7:23).
What was their shortcoming? They failed to do the Father's will (Matthew 7:21). The Lord wants us to be "zealous of good works" (Titus 2:14), but all the good works in the world cannot cover sin.
"But, Lord, I was just doing what other folks were doing." - - -
Christ taught that this course of action leads to destruction: "Enter ye in at the strait [narrow] gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat" (Matthew 7:13).
Remember, something is not right in God's sight just because a lot of people are doing it.
"But, Lord, I was always so busy with work and everything that I didn't have time for church." - - -
A more truthful statement is that one does not make time. Jesus warned: "And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word" (Mark 4:19)
"Lord, I am sorry for the way that I lived. If I had a chance to do it again, I would do better." - - -
None gets a second chance.
"It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment" (Hebrews 9:27).
Our life on earth is a one-shot deal (Titus 2:12)
Let us all be certain that we are prepared for that day, so we won't need any excuses.
--- Roger Campbell, Cleveland, Tennessee
"I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity" (Matthew 7:23).
What was their shortcoming? They failed to do the Father's will (Matthew 7:21). The Lord wants us to be "zealous of good works" (Titus 2:14), but all the good works in the world cannot cover sin.
"But, Lord, I was just doing what other folks were doing." - - -
Christ taught that this course of action leads to destruction: "Enter ye in at the strait [narrow] gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat" (Matthew 7:13).
Remember, something is not right in God's sight just because a lot of people are doing it.
"But, Lord, I was always so busy with work and everything that I didn't have time for church." - - -
A more truthful statement is that one does not make time. Jesus warned: "And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word" (Mark 4:19)
"Lord, I am sorry for the way that I lived. If I had a chance to do it again, I would do better." - - -
None gets a second chance.
"It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment" (Hebrews 9:27).
Our life on earth is a one-shot deal (Titus 2:12)
Let us all be certain that we are prepared for that day, so we won't need any excuses.
--- Roger Campbell, Cleveland, Tennessee
•9:30 AM
[ taken from Wooddale Church of Christ ]
by Hugh Fulford
Guest Columnist for Forthright Magazine
This past Sunday evening I heard a moving sermon on "The Horrors of Hell."
We don't hear sermons on hell much anymore these days.
One preacher among us used to preach a powerful sermon titled, "What Is Hell Like?" In his autobiography a few years ago, he confessed that he had not preached the sermon in 25 years and no longer believed what he had previously preached about hell.
Jesus talked a lot about hell.
In fact, he said more about hell than anyone else in all the New Testament. Just before he ascended back to heaven, he commissioned his apostles to "Go into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned" (Mark 16:15-16, KJV).
Some folks wonder about the fate of the pious un-immersed.
What about the fate of the pious unbeliever?
Might as well wonder about the fate of the latter as the fate of the former.
Jesus made both belief and baptism (immersion) essential to salvation.
I sometimes wonder if some folks believe anybody is going to be lost.
Old brother T. W. Caskey, one of the great advocates of the restoration plea (the plea to return to faithful New Testament teaching and practice), said if nobody is going to be damned, "you may as well convert hell into a calf pasture and be done with it."
My son, Brett, recently observed that people believe everything on the Internet and question everything about the Bible.
He went on to say, "It should be the other way around."
Well said, son.
According to Christ, we all are going to face his word on the Day of Judgment. "He who rejects Me, and does not receive My words, has that which judges him, the word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day" (John 12:48).
Back to the sermon I heard on hell.
The preacher, Don Blackwell of North Charleston, SC, in talking about the rich man's capacity in torment to remember the situation of his five brothers back on earth (Luke 16:19-31), made the observation: "If live men knew what dead men know, the whole world would be Christian."
I don't doubt that for a moment.
I mentioned above a preacher who used to preach on hell but no longer does, at least, not in the way he used to.
Some would say he has "evolved" to a more "mature" understanding of the subject.
"Evolved" is a popular way today for saying that a person no longer believes what he once believed.
Another word comes to my mind.
When a person abandons biblical truth, he has not "evolved"; he has "devolved"!
•11:14 AM
The following is a repost originally written by myself on 3.26.09. I wanted to share it once again because, right along through here, I feel it can help someone. Hope it touches and helps you. God Bless!
I am dying.
No, I don't have a fatal disease or terminal illness, but
it's true.
I AM dying.
I'm one step closer to death than I was
yesterday.
And if we stopped and thought for a moment, we all are.
Life
is soooo short, man. Death has no respect for age. It used to be at one
time, all the older people would die off, but lately it seems as if the
young ones are filling up those vacancies in those graveyards.
One
minute you're here, and the next you're gone..just like that.
Some
people don't like to think about it, or talk about it, but hey, that's
reality.
You're not here to stay.
When you die, that's just the
beginning of it all.
I know some of us are in that mode "I'm young and
i'm gonna do what I wanna do while I can do it" but that's not the
mindset we should have.
The devil wants us to think that we have all the
time in the world...but in reality we don't.
Don't you know if you die
in your sins, your soul goes to him to be tortured for all eternity?
Since young people are dying as quickly as the older generation, don't
you think we should be in good standing with God?
When we die and
judgment comes, we have to stand before Him and give an account of
everything we did on earth.
Some of us say "I'm a good person" or "I
love God" but it takes more than just that. You can't live your life any
old way and expect God to be pleased with you. You have to live
according to His teachings.
Sure, it might be hard and you'll have to
give up a LOT.
But look at the BIG PICTURE..if you live as He would have
you to live and follow His word, you spend eternity with Him?
Isn't
that a wonderful thought?
To know after all the hurt and pain and drama
down here you had to deal with, you can rest in Heaven with him forever?
Why would you wanna live a life full of hell here on earth and spend
eternity in hell 'cause of how you were living?
We need to take self
examinations and change up the way we live if it's not measuring up to God's standards.
Tomorrow is not
promised...neither is the next second.
We should stop saying "I'll
worship God when I get older", who's to say you have that long left?
You
should do it NOW while there's still breath in your body and blood running warm in your veins.
Sure you may lose some friends along the
way, your family may even turn against you, but when you face God you
have to answer for YOU and what you did or didn't do during your life.
It's funny how we can talk about any and everything, but when God is
brought up, there's cause for debate.
Why can we talk hours and hours
about the latest music, gossip about this and that person, but when
something comes up about our soul and eternity we get defensive?
God
loves ALL OF US and doesn't want any of us to perish.
But he destroyed
the world once before and only eight survived, He has the right to do it
again.
Why take that chance?
Don't you want to hear Him say "Well done"
on that last and final day?
Don't you want to see His face in peace
instead of fear?
Some may think i'm crazy, or a "religious nut" but hey...
you think what you want. It used to bug me that people would
think I was weird for standing up and doing what was right
by telling others about God, but it doesn't bother me anymore.
I know i'm doing what God would have me to do;
and as long as He's pleased, that's all that matters to me.
Don't you want to be on someone's side who...
..will love you unconditionally?
..will be there for you all the time when others turn their backs?
..will forgive you when you do wrong instead of hanging it over your head?
Do what's right:
Live for Him♥
Some may think i'm crazy, or a "religious nut" but hey...
you think what you want. It used to bug me that people would
think I was weird for standing up and doing what was right
by telling others about God, but it doesn't bother me anymore.
I know i'm doing what God would have me to do;
and as long as He's pleased, that's all that matters to me.
Don't you want to be on someone's side who...
..will love you unconditionally?
..will be there for you all the time when others turn their backs?
..will forgive you when you do wrong instead of hanging it over your head?
Do what's right:
Live for Him♥
Hear the Gospel. "How shall they call on him whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe him whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?" (Romans 10:14).
Believe. "And without faith it is impossible to be well pleasing unto him; for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that seek after him" (Hebrews 11:6).
Repent of past sins. "The times of ignorance therefore God overlooked; but now he commandeth men that they should all everywhere repent" (Acts 17:30).
Confess Jesus as Lord. "Behold here is water; What doth hinder me to be baptized ? And Philip said, if thou believeth with all thy heart thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God" (Acts 8:36-37).
Be baptized for the remission of sins. "And Peter said unto them, Repent ye, and be baptized everyone of you in the name of Jesus Christ unto the remission of your sins and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit" (Acts 2:38).
Live a Christian life. "Ye are an elect race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God's own possession, that ye may show forth the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light" (1 Peter 2:9).
Want to learn more?
http://church-of-christ.org/churches/
Visit that site,
click the area in which you reside,
find a congregation near you and pay a visit.
•10:52 AM
But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare."
While it's true that the Lord does not want anyone to perish, He also gives us free will. We can choose to achieve the great salvation, live for Him and make Heaven our home OR we can choose to do things our way, live for self, and spend eternity with the devil and his angels.
The choice is yours. . .
- B.
•12:05 PM
Luke 13:6-9
Then he told this parable: “A man had a fig tree growing in his vineyard, and he went to look for fruit on it but did not find any. So
he said to the man who took care of the vineyard, ‘For three years now
I’ve been coming to look for fruit on this fig tree and haven’t found
any. Cut it down! Why should it use up the soil?’
“‘Sir,’ the man replied, ‘leave it alone for one more year, and I’ll dig around it and fertilize it. If it bears fruit next year, fine! If not, then cut it down.’”
Fruit trees are planted for a purpose - if you plant a seed, over time, you expect to see a tree and then some fruit. In the same respect, if nothing happens it should be cut down because it's of no use to you.
Same applies to us.
We were placed in God's kingdom for a purpose: to bring glory and honor to Him, live our lives as examples so others can see Christ in us, be there for our fellow man, and help bring souls to Christ. All of these are examples of "bearing fruit."
If we don't do anything and are just taking up space, don't you know we are liable to get cut down as well?
"Cutting down" doesn't always mean death, either. It could also mean that God could turn us over to a reprobate mind; have us thinking what we're doing is okay and acceptable and we're believing a lie.
If we don't want to get chopped down by the owner of the vineyard (God) we need to start bearing fruit.
He'll only grant us so much grace and then you know what's next.
Think about it,
B.
