April fool's day!

I read the other day where a man went to court because he said that christians had holidays,like Christmas and Easter and Thanksgiving, and non believers did not have any., He wanted  a holiday for non believers because it wasn't fair the way it was. So the judge went into his chambers to think on the matter, when the judge came back he told the man he had made his decision. He said,"I have thought the matter over and decided you were mistaken. You do have a holiday,I read in Ecclesastes 2:14 that"The fool walketh in darkness". So sir,  you do have a holiday and it's April 1, April fools Day.
     The whole purpose of Jesus death on the cross was to pay our sin debt. 1Corinthians 15:3 says "Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures".This man never sinned, but He became sin for us His death on the cross was full payment for our sins.
    2Corinthians 5:21 reads "for HE hath made Him (Jesus Christ) to be sin for us ,who knew no sin ; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him". Jesus offers the only way for our sins to be forgiven. He offers eternal life as a free gift to all who will call upon His name.
    My friend it's never to late to surrender to the Lord.
    Tomorrow may not be yours to see, don't wait till it's to late .
          Till next time       God Blees You!       wayne

Excuses

         Romans 1:20 "For the invisible things of Him [God]
from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead , so that they are without excuse."
     
   For so many I talk to today it seems that their hearts have been darkened and they have an excuse  for anything you ask, whether it be about salvation or about church.
  When you ask them about going to church they have all kinds of excuses. I just saw an artical where someone had made a humorous list that reflects this very question, Instead of  "why I never go to church ,It's , Why I never wash." I think you will see what I mean.
 [1] I was forced to wash as a child.
 [2} People who wash are hypocrites - They think they are cleaner than others
 [3} There are so many kinds of soap, I could never decide which one was right
{4} I used to wash but it got boring.  
.{5}I wash only on Christmas and Easter.
 {6} None of my friends wash.
  {7} I'll start washing when I'm older.
  {8  I really don"t have time.
  {9}The bathroom isn't warm enough.
 {10} People who make soap are only after your money.
It's pretty easy to see that most excuses are pretty weak for not going to church.
People often use the most ridiculous excuses for not going to church and if you should mention that they need Jesus Christ as Savior they often become uneasy and want to get away as quick as possible.
     We saw in Romans 1:20 where Paul wrote,"They are without excuse."
Don't be caught makeing excuses when it comes to something as serious as your spiritual condition.
Jesus loves you and He died for you, can't you spare one hour a week for Him?
       Till next time         GOD BLESS YOU!          wayne
 

What is in your heart?

This week I have been going through a lot of material that my father-in-law had saved over the years.  He had been a lay minister for many years and he had saved sermons, songs, poems, pretty much anything he could find to use for God's glory. I found this story and I was caught up in the message it contained, as I hope you will be.
             
                                                       THE HEART
     "Tomorrw morning," the surgeon began, "I'll open up your heart."
     "You'll find Jesus there," the little boy interrupted.
      The surgeon looked up, annoyed, "I'll cut your heart open,"he continued."I need to see how much damage has been done."
     "But when you open up my heart, you'll find Jesus in there."said the little boy.
     The surgeon looked to the parents, who sat quietly. "When I see how much damage has been done, I'll sew  your heart and chest back up, and I'll plan what to do next."
     "But you'll find Jesus in my heart. The Bible says He lives there. You'll find Him in my heart."
     The surgeon had had enough. "I'll tell you what I'll find in your heart," he replied. " I'll find damaged muscle, low blood supply, and weakened vessels. Also I'll find out if I can make you well."
    "You'll find Jesus there too, He lives there."
      The surgeon left and did the surgery.
       Later he sat in his office recording his notes from the surgery,...'Damaged pulmonary vein, widespread muscle degeneration, No hope for transplant, no hope for cure. Therapy: Pain killers and bed rest. Prognosis:(here he paused for a time) and then wrote... death within one year."
He stopped the recorder, but there was more to be said.
      As he sat there he began to question God.  "Why", he ask aloud, "Why did you do this? You put him here; You've put him in this pain and You've cursed him to an early death, Why."
      The Lord answered and said, "The boy, My lamb, was not meant for your flock for long for he is a part of My flock and will forever be. Here, in My flock, he will feel no pain and will be comforted as you can not imagine. His parents will one day join him here and they will know peace and My flock will continue to grow."
     The surgeon's tears were hot, but his anger was hotter."You created that boy and You created that heart.  He'll be dead in months, why?'
     The Lord answered, "The boy, My lamb, shall return to my flock, for he has done his duty. I did not put My lamb with your flock to lose him, but to retrieve another lost lamb, YOU!"
     The surgeon wept and asked God for forgiveness....Later the surgeon sat beside the boy's bed; the boy's parents sat across from him.  The boy awoke and whispered,"Did you cut open my heart?"
   "Yes," said the surgeon. "What did you find?" asked the little boy.
     "I found Jesus there," said the surgeon.
                          John 14:6 says"I AM THE WAY, THE TRUTH, AND THE LIFE:NO MAN COMETH  UNTO THE FATHER, BUT BY ME."
     My prayer today is that each of us  keep Jesus in our hearts and that we can stand as firm as the little boy in the story did.
                   Till next time           GOD BLESS YOU        Wayne

Did You Say You Loved Jesus?

       When you ask a person if they know the Lord, you usually get one of two answers ,"I don't want to talk about that stuff" or "yes". Most  of the time the yes is just in hopes that  you will leave them alone and not ask any thing else about the subject.
     Those who answer "Yes,I'm a Christian", and truly mean it are saying "I love Jesus."
Well, if you love Jesus, are you living the kind of life He expects you to live?
Peter  was asked that very same  question in the book of John.   Peter wasn't asked just one time but three times and he was asked by Jesus himself. Let's look at that scripture.
     John 21:15"So when they had dined, Jesus saith  to Simon Peter. Simon son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea Lord; Thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my Lambs."
   Vs 16   "He saith to him again the second time. Simon son of Jonas lovest thou me? He saith unto him, Yea Lord ,thou knowest I love thee, He saith unto him, Feed my sheep."
   Vs 17  "He saith unto him the third time. Simon son of Jonas, lovest thou me?  Peter was grevied because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord thou knowest all things, Thou knowest that  I love thee.  Jesus saith unto him feed my sheep."
     Now this was a very important time in Peters life. Just a short time before  he had told Jesus in John 13:37 "I will lay down my life for thy sake.  Then later Peter  denied knowing who Jesus was even to the point that he denies being a disciplel of Jesus.  Now Jesus was feeding him and others on the sea shore and Jesus was asking him if he loved him .Peter could feel the compassion of Christ drawing him and Peter said "yes Lord you know I love you." Peter took that moment to recommit to the Lord .
     Many people toda like Peter make mistakes and fall short of what God expects of them. When that happens we must sak the Lord to forgive us and say "yes Lord I do love you" and then show him .
   Jesus told Peter to "feed his sheep' . Now Peter was to be not only a fisher of men but  also he was to be a shepherd .
  Jesus knew Peter's heart and He knows ours. He had a job for Peter to do and he has a job for us to do as well.
  Jesus showed Peter that He knew Peter was ready to be used for His Glory and His work. Inspite of Peters faults and failures the Lord used him and He can use you as well.
  So I ask you today, Do you love Jesus? I  hope and pray your answer is "Yes, I love the Lord!"
        
       till next time    GOD BLESS YOU      Wayne

Know that you Know you're saved Know that you Know you're saved I was asked a while ago if anyone really ever knows if they are truly saved and going to go to heaven when they die? I will say I was surprised because this person had been serving God for some time and I thought they had a better understanding of scripture.     I guess there are a lot of Christians today who don't know the answer to that question ,so today I would like to show you in God's word how you can know that you are saved and going to heaven when you die.   As we look in 2Timothy3:16-17 we  read that "All scripture is given by inspiration of God ,and is profitable for doctrine , for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness;  That the man of GOD may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works."  If you believe those verses of scripture then you will know without a doubt that you will be heaven bound when you die.     Look at 2 Corinthians 5:1 "For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heaven." As a born again child of God, we know when we die the Lord has prepared for  each of us a home in  glory, through the saving Grace of Jesus Christ. The first three words of this scripture are plain truth.    In Romans 8:38-39 we read"for I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,  nor heigt, nor death, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Jesus Christ our Lord." Now don't you feel better that you know about your promised future?     I still have one more verse just  in case  there is any doubt left .    Look at 1 John 5:13 "These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; THAT YE MAY KNOW that ye have eternal life , and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God."          I hope that you know you know , now go out and tell someone else,             Till next time       GOD BLESS YOU    Wayne

Traveling the Eternities

There was a story on T V a few years ago called Broken Trail. It was a story about cowboys out west. Along the way a man was killed and one of the cowboys stood over the grave. He did not know exactly what last words to say, yet he prayed a simple prayer of comfort. He prayed this prayer, “We are all travelers in this world, from the sweet grass to the packing house, birth till death, we travel between the two Eternities.”

Yes, we are all pilgrims in a world that offers no lasting peace or rest. We do in a sense travel between eternity past and eternity Future.

We are waiting for that promised hope, of that home not made with hands, that will be our home in eternity.

 HEBREWS 11: 8-16, Abraham followed God’s direction by faith. Abraham became a pilgrim in a strange land. Abraham was in a sense much like the cowboys of the story, he too was traveling between the eternities in search of his eternity to come, whose builder and creator was God. Abraham would encounter many difficulties and trials as he followed God’s directing, yet he knew by faith his eternity was set by the God of his fathers. Abraham died in faith, having the promise Of God, of his eternity to come. Along with Abraham, these people of faith died never receiving all God had promised, but they never lost their vision of heaven to come. Abraham traveled with God from eternity past to eternity future, always trusting in God. We must not get so trapped by the thing of this world that we can not follow when God wants us to move ahead in our lives. When I was reading about Abraham and his faithful following of God, I was reminded of a story we find in John 6 and what Peter told Jesus after some of his disciples left following him. It says “From that time many of His disciples went back, and walked with Him no more.” Too many today get discouraged and fall by the wayside.

Not every one who hears the call of God will follow till the end. Peter has the right outlook as we read in verse 68; “Lord to whom shall we go, You have the word of eternal life.”

There is a poem I read by Sper I think you will like.

Jesus is the one to run to when our lives bring grief and pain.

He provides His strength and guidance with a peace we can’t explain

Peter was right. Jesus is the way to eternal life, to that eternity future. We all know trouble comes to everyone at one time or another, even to the prophet Isaiah. If we read Isaiah 46: 3-4 we see what God has done and will do in their lives but also in what takes place in our lives today if we trust in Him. Whether we are young or old we must learn to let God carry us. Matthew 11:28 Jesus says “Come unto me all ye who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” Isn’t it nice to know when we are burdened down and weak, not knowing which way to turn we can still lean on the everlasting arms of Jesus? That Hope is what lifts us up beyond life, between the eternities to a joy and hope that is eternal. One day we will experience the promise of eternity future, when our hope will become sight as we come face to face with Jesus. As pilgrims we travel the pathways of life, Through valleys and hills through trouble and strife,

He has upheld them from their birth.

He has carried them from the womb to their old age.

He has made us and he will continue to carry us all the days of our lives.

He will deliver us, from eternity past to eternity future.

That my friend is Divine Grace. It makes you think of the good shepherd carrying a helpless lamb.

No worry nor confusion can separate me, From salvations promise that eternity I’ll see. My friends I pray as you travel between the eternities that you have made a decision and given your heart to the Lord and that your future is secure in Him.

 

 

Till next time - God Bless you All.   Wayne

Daily strength

The commercials on TV sometimes make me laugh.  This is the case here lately.  Some say we need an energy drink to get the day started, another says we need an energy bar to get us going in the morning.  I even saw that the sun and the moon could not go as needed untill they had a Jimmy Dean breakfast biscuit every morning.  Now I agree I feel like we do need something to help get us going everyday, but it isn't an energy bar or drink or even a Jimmy Dean biscuit.  To start the day off right we need to go to the Lord in prayer.  We read in Luke 1:3 "Give us day by day our daily bread."   You may ask, what is that daily bread that Jesus spoke of?  The answer is found in John 6:35.   Jesus says, "I am the bread of life and he that commeth to me shall never hunger."  Jesus says He is the bread of life.  He is the sustainer of life.  He and only He can strenghten us.  That power is supplied by the Holy Spirit that lives within each and every born again child of God.  Many Christians today have an on again off again relationship with the Lord, they think somehow they can store up enough from one visit to church to another.  We see in II Corinthians 4:16 that it says, "But though our outward man perish the inward man be renewed DAILY."  Yes, we are getting older, and some of us show it more than others, but we all need  that daily strength found only through the renewing of the Holy Spirit In Jesus Christ.  Starting the day off with prayer not only energizes and gives us strength for the day ahead, it also helps us to deal with the daily problems we may encounter.  You know family, job, traffic, bills, or just anything the devil can throw our way.  In Psalms 86:6 we read, "give an ear oh Lord, unto my prayer and attend to the voice of my supplication."   The prayer line is always open, and God delights in your prayers.  When you pray, ask the Lord to lead and you follow, not the other way around, as many do today.  Oh, I wish there was a commercial that came on TV that said to start your day off right, just go to the Lord in prayer, to receive that peace and strength that only He can supply.

Today my friend, I pray that you will allow God to lead you and that the bread of life, Jesus Christ, will fill you and strengthen you.      

  Till next time,     
GOD  BLESS YOU
       Wayne 

THE FAITH OF ASA A KING

In today's world many people are willing to go along with the crowd. They don't want to step out for fear of what others might think or say, but to make a difference we need to decide for ourselves what is in our best interest. Should we stand for something we don't agree with too be like everybody else, or do we stand up for what we see as the right thing to do?

Asa had just become king after his father had died. His father had been a wicked ruler who did not serve God.  Asa was a man who trusted in God and wanted to serve him, and he also wanted his nation to trust  and serve God as well. There came a time when King Asa's army was about to go out in battle against an army of over 1 million Ethiopian soldiers.  Asa's army was no match for the Ethiopian army, but Asa knew he could call upon the Lord for help in this time of trouble. Asa took the same path to victory that every Christian is able to take in times of trouble. Let us look at Chronicles chapter 14:11  "And Asa cried unto the Lord his God, and said, Lord, it is nothing with thee to help, whether with many, or with them that have no power; help us oh Lord; for we rest on thee, and in thy name we go out against this multitude. Oh Lord, thou art our God; let no man prevail against thee."      

 #1.  Asa cried unto the Lord. This king humbled himself before God, in prayer for help from the only one who could help in a time like he was facing. 

#2.  Asa made his prayer personal.  He prayed to "his God".

#3.  Asa prayed believing, "we rest on Thee."  Asa knew God had the power to bring victory for his country. 

In verse 12 we read "so the Lord smote the Ethiopians before Asa".  My friends, that same strength and power that Asa prayed for is here for you today.   Romans 10:9 says "That if thou shalt confess with thy  mouth the Lord Jesus and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved."  If you pray that and believe it, then God's power, and His peace are ready to work for you.

Today if your problems seem to big to handle on your own then take them to Jesus.  Matthew 11:28 says, "Come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest."
                           GOD BLESS YOU TILL THE NEXT TIME.

                                                      WAYNE