"How To Please God" (With Sermon by Chuck Smith) - Inspirational Weekend

Gorgeous male peacocks always make me think of pride.   I believe some of them think they are "it." Pride is spoken of as an abomination, one of the 7 things that God hates (Proverbs 6:16-19).  Chuck Smith mentions all 7 of them in his sermon found below, so I will not list them here.  Besides, I wanted to concentrate now on the things that please God.  

First, we need to come to a saving knowledge of Jesus, and have a heartfelt, sincere repentance and the willingness to surrender our lives to Jesus and to live for Him and to do His will, not our will.   Having faith in God and Jesus pleases God.   Hebrews 11:6 tells us ,  "Without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone that comes to Him must believe that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him."

Next, we need to make sure that we are walking in the Holy Spirit.  Once you repent and surrender to Jesus, you are sealed with the Holy Spirit if you were sincere.  So we need to be spiritually minded and not carnal,  not with desires of the flesh and worldly tendencies.  Romans 8:6-8 tells us, "For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.  Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither can it be.  So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. "  To mature in the faith takes time and much prayer and much time spent in God's Word.  One needs to develop a close, intimate, personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ.

Also, we need to obey God.   Jesus said, "If ye love me, keep my commandments."  - John 14:15.  As your relationship with the Lord grows, so will your love for Him.   God"s commands  are beneficial, and if we obey them, we will grow spiritually and be more Christ-like.   Your character will become more holy, more righteous.   Jesus said He always did what pleased God the Father (John 8:29).  As followers of Christ, we need to endeavor to always please God as well.

We need to have a healthy, reverent fear of God.  He is the all-powerful Creator of the universe; He created us as well, of course, and we should be in awe of His majesty and sovereignty.   Proper fear and honor of God will help us to avoid sin (Exodus 20:20).

The Bible was given to us to help us know what God's will is.  If we read it daily, God will reveal to us His will in all areas.   Jesus set the grand example of doing God's will when He went to the cross and shed His blood for us, so we that believe in Him may have eternal life.  Jesus did His Father's will; He was totally committed to God and showed His love by His obedience.   We need to seek God's help to always do His will and thereby be true followers of Jesus.   If we obey the two great commandments at Mark 12:29-31, we definitely please God :  "And Jesus answered him,  The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord: And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.  And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.  There is none other commandment greater than these."

Love is the key to pleasing God, for God is love (1 John 4:16).  If we love the Lord, we will want to please Him.   As Chuck Smith says in his sermon below, "Pleasing God is the purpose of our existence."

"And whatsoever we ask, we receive of Him, because we keep His commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in His sight."  -  1 John 3:22

"Thoughts and Scriptures on Prayer" - Inspirational Weekend

Have you ever thought about the fact that people - just regular, everyday people - have the privilege to speak to the Creator of the universe when we come to Him in prayer?!  Even more incredible is that God hears us and acts on our behalf and answers our prayers.   Please understand this, that our Savior Jesus Christ had to die on the cross to make it possible for us to even approach God in worship and in prayer !

John Bunyan says it best when he describes prayer:  "Prayer is a sincere, sensible, affectionate pouring out of the soul to God, through Christ, in the strength and the assistance of the Spirit, for such things as God has promised."

You need to be born again and living a godly, righteous life for the Lord to hear and answer your prayers.    Except for when a sinner for the first time repents and comes to God and Jesus the Savior in sincere belief and asks for forgiveness; God will answer that sinner's prayer and forgive him and welcome him as a child of God.   Aside from that,  consider the following Scriptures:

"For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and His ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil."  -  James 3:12

"Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed.  The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much."  -  James 5:16

"But the prayer of the upright is His (God's) delight."  -  Proverbs 15:8b

We must pray according to God's will and also in Jesus' name.   One of our main jobs as believers is to pray for others.  "Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;"  -  Ephesians 6:18.   We should also pray for those in authority over us and for the unsaved.  (1 Timothy 2:1-3)

I would like you to listen to the following song by Celine Dion and Josh Groban titled, "The Prayer." I have posted it here before some time ago, but this time with different video images. It is the most beautiful duet that I have ever heard.

"Nowhere can we get to know the holiness of God, and come under His influence and power, except in the inner chamber.  It has well been said, 'No man can expect to make progress in holiness who is not often and long alone with God.'"  -  Andrew Murray

"Prayer in the sense of petition, asking for things, is a small part of it;  confession and penitence are its threshhold, adoration its sanctuary, the presence and vision and enjoyment of God its bread and wine."  -  C. S. Lewis

"If we are to pray aright, perhaps it is quite necessary that we pray contrary to our own heart.  Not what we want to pray is important, but what God wants us to pray.  The richness of the word of God ought to determine our prayer, not the poverty of our heart."  -  Dietrich Bonhoeffer

I confess that many years ago I went a long time without praying at all.   I had been burned badly and was bitter and resentful.   That in itself was enough reason to pray to God and ask for His forgiveness and help.   But I didn't.   That is, not until my world came crashing down, and God got my attention in a big way.   I lost pretty much everything and had suffered a divorce.   I spent a lot of time crying, but all the afflictions drove me to God in prayer.   And one day I told God that I loved Him for the first time in my life, and I immediately knew what that meant in all this enormous understanding that came over me.   Later I realized that I had never been truly born again until that turning point.   I began to read the Bible and to pray.... as time went on those two things became my lifeline.    I have since learned that prayerlessness is a sin.   " A prayerless life is a Christless life."  Someone famous said that; I may not have quoted it exactly right but that is the gist of it.

David Wilkerson said, "Prayer mixed with faith is the answer to absolutely everything."  

In these perilous times in which we live right now, prayer is the best thing we can do to survive all the craziness in the world.   Pray for the Lord's soon return to take us out of this wicked world and into heaven with Jesus.   The way Bible prophecy is being fulfilled on a daily basis, Jesus' return will be soon.   May He find you living a holy life, busy doing the Lord's will.   Pray without ceasing and be in your Bible daily.

Charles Stanley has said, "For prayer to be effective it needs to  be anchored in the Word of God."

Following is a sermon by Charles Stanley titled "Putting Prayer First".   Excellent sermon !

"But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer."  -  1 Peter 4:7

"How To Overcome Anxiety In A Chaotic World" - Inspirational Weekend

These Koi seem peaceful enough, but have you ever fed them and watched what a frenzy they get into?  A feeding frenzy!  It's as if they get downright anxious about it.  People as well can get anxious about what they are to eat, or wear, or what tomorrow will bring.  The Bible talks about this at Matthew 6:25-34.

"Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on.  Is not the life more than meat, and the body more than raiment?"  This is Jesus speaking at Matthew 6:25.    This is the King James Version.   Where it says, "Take no thought for your life",  the New International Version reads, "Do not worry about your life".  Worry is a milder form of anxiety.   In my opinion, anxiety is worry on steroids!

If you follow the news, you realize the world is very chaotic right now.   Recently in America we have had violence played out in various areas, similar to what is going on in the Middle East.   People are becoming fearful and anxious about what tomorrow may bring.   There is also a sense of hopelessness with many people and they commit suicide as a way out of it all.  Some call this time we are living in a "culture of despair."  

"We must meet the uncertainties of this world with the certainty of the world to come."   -  A. W. Tozer

There is a better world to come!  If you are a Christian and read your Bible, you realize that God has a marvelous, heavenly future for all who are true believers.   Also, Christ will reign on this earth for 1000 years, and it will be a paradise.   (Revelation 20:1-6)    After that, believers will be with Christ for all eternity.   

That's all fine and good, but what about right now and how do I cope, you might say.  Read God's Word and pray without ceasing!  Only He can give you the peace within your soul that you desperately need in these desperate times we find ourselves living in.   Only God can fill you with hope of better things to come, which will be in heaven.   We need to be strong and not fearful.   The definition of anxiety is: "distress or uneasiness of mind caused by fear of danger or misfortune."  Notice that anxiety is caused by fear.  When you place all your trust in God, there is no room for stressful fear.   Fear and anxiety show a lack of trust and faith in God and Jesus.

"For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of  love, and of a sound mind."   -

2 Timothy 1:7

"Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on Thee: because he trusteth in Thee."   -  Isaiah 26:3

"Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.  And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."  -  Philippians 4:6-7 (NASB)

I pray that the above Scriptures have encouraged you and given you hope.   It is normal to feel a little fear and anxiety at times, but we do not want to stay in that condition.   Consider all the wonderful Bible verses that give us hope.  Pray often and pour out your heart to God about your concerns, including any anxieties you might have.   Pray for the Lord to give you more faith.   

"The beginning of anxiety is the end of faith, and the beginning of true faith is the end of anxiety."  -  George Mueller.

"But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you."  -  Jesus speaking at Matthew 6:33 concerning not being anxious about food and clothing and the like.  Keep your mind on things above, not on earthly things (Colossians 3:1-2).

"Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God."  -  Corrie ten Boom

"Forget The Past" - Inspirational Weekend

The above driftwood reminds me of some people (and the way I used to be).   People can be carried along by the waves of the world ... sin and emptiness and purposelessness.   And before they realize it they end up stranded on the beach of ruin, burnt by life and parched and thirsty for meaning.  They are stranded with their baggage with no where to go, no where to turn.   One of the worst kinds of baggage is to be living in the past, and unable to forget the past hurts and disappointments and unfair treatment by others.  

Chances are, if you replay over and over in your mind past hurts, that you have not forgiven others of their sins against you.  This is serious because Matthew 6:15 says, "But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses."  I recently made a blog post on forgiveness here .  You need to truly forgive those who have hurt you, slandered you, lied about you, or damaged you in any way.  Put them in the hands of God.   Then God will be able to heal you by His Holy Spirit and take the hurt and pain from your mind and soul.   Once you take everything to God in prayer, and surrender your hurts to His capable hands, a peace will come over you that only He can give.    

"Hurting people hurt people."  -  Unknown

"Brethren, 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, "  - Philippians 3:13

In the above Scripture, the apostle Paul stressed "one thing I do", as if he gave that top priority...to forget the past - leaving it behind him as done and settled.  Paul kept his mind on "those things which are before"......his ministry and the future hope of eternity with Christ in heaven.  He wished to obtain "the prize", the crown of victory in heaven after he ran his race here on the earth.  When we look forward, as Paul did, we see everything to cheer us and spur us on to good works, as well as the joys of heaven and being with Jesus.   When we look backwards, we see everything to dishearten us and bring us down, especially if we dwell on past sins and hurts.   One who constantly dwells on the past, though he may be a true Christian, is often a recluse and he will be melancholy and depressed.  On the other hand, looking to the past he may consider all he has done and the difficulties he has surmounted and perhaps will become self-complacent and self-satisfied.  He will trust his past victories over difficulties and hurts, and become proud.   

"God has nothing to say to the self-righteous."  D. L. Moody

Granted, sometimes it is good to look back and learn from our mistakes in the past.  The past can teach us valuable lessons at times.   God can use past experiences - even the really bad ones - to transform us and mold us to become the kind of person He wants us to be. We grow and mature as we face trials and heartaches and learn to take it all to the Lord in prayer.   But generally speaking, it is better to let go of your past and live in the present, but with the future in view.

Luke 9:62 says, "And Jesus said unto him, No man having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.

To put one's hand to a plow is a proverbial expression to signify undertaking any business.   In order to complete his work, the plowman must look onward and be intent on what he is doing, and not to be looking back with regret that he even began to plow in the first place.   So it is with a follower of Jesus Christ.....we must follow Him with our whole heart and not be influenced by the world and its sinful lusts.   And not to have a morbid fixation on what happened to us in the past.  You can make yourself ill with depression dwelling on unpleasant things.   Morbid things and thoughts are from the devil trying to tear you down and make you ineffectual as a Christian.   We do not want to be unfit for the kingdom of God.   One way to combat these negative thought patterns is to be constantly in prayer and in the Word of God.   If you truly know Jesus in your heart, and have a close, personal, and intimate relationship with God through Jesus Christ, you will keep your mind on spiritual things and be a lot happier.  

2 Corinthians 5:17 tells us, "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are past away; behold, all things are become new."

Note that the above verse says, "old things are past away.....all things are become new".   If you are a true believer, you are a new creation.   Forget the hurt and badness of the past.   You have a new and renewed mind (Romans 12:2; Ephesians 4:23) and need to be thinking about the present and what God's will for you might be; as well as the wonderful hope in the future of being with Jesus in heaven.   I am reminded of Philippians 4:8 which follows:

"Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report;  If there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things."

Think about good things, which will be all the more easier when you are often in prayer and often in the Word of God.   

We are living in the last days; the Rapture of the Church  (true believers) could happen at any time.  We need to be busy in the Lord's work until then.   That means to share the Gospel with lost souls.  All Christians are ministers in that sense.

"Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.  Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world."   -   Jesus at Matthew 28:19-20   (KJV)


Romans 12:1-2 informs us: (1) "I beseech you therefore, brethren,  by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.  (2) And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God."

"But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you."    - Jesus at Matthew 6:33



Have a blessed and Christ centered weekend..... and life !

"Why We Should Forgive Others" - Inspirational Weekend

"To forgive is the highest, most beautiful form of love.  In return, you will receive untold peace and happiness."  -  Robert Muller.     

That quote partly answers the question as to why we should forgive others.  The main reason to forgive is given to us by Jesus at Matthew 6:14-15  :  "For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: but if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses."  Think about that real hard.   You will lose fellowship with God and Jesus if you are unforgiving.   You may not lose your salvation, but you will suffer consequences.  The commentator John Trapp wrote,  "It is more comfortable to love a friend, but more honorable to love an enemy.  If thou reserve in thy mind any piece of the wrong, thou provokest and daily prayest God to reserve for thee a piece of His wrath."

This reminds me of the parable of the unforgiving servant in Matthew 18:21-35.   First of all, in verse 21, Peter came to Jesus and asked Him, "How oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times?"  And Jesus , in verse 22, said  to him,  "I say not unto thee, until seven times but until seventy times seven."   The sense here is "times without number" or as many times as necessary.

In other words, as often as God forgives you.  In the parable of the unforgiving servant, he owed his master a huge debt, and  because of his pleading and begging, the master forgave him the debt.   Immediately this servant went out and found another person who owed him a very small amount in comparison, and he demanded payment of him.   The unforgiving servant had this man thrown into prison until he would pay him back.   When the master of this servant heard about it, the master had the unforgiving servant thrown into prison where there were tormentors and where he suffered greatly.   The point is, God has forgiven us for so much and therefore we should be forgiving of others.The offences committed by our brothers are very small in comparison to how greatly and often we have sinned against God.

"To be a Christian means to forgive the inexcusable because God has forgiven the inexcusable in you."  -  C.S. Lewis

We must consider that when Jesus was on the cross He prayed, "Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do."  He was praying for His murderers !    We learn from Jesus' example that we have a duty to pray for our enemies, even when they are trying to injure us.   This shows the power and excellence of the Christian religion.  No other religion teaches its followers to pray for their enemies.  Another thing to consider is that followers of Christ are just that...followers, and should follow His example and be as forgiving as He is.   

"It takes a strong person to say sorry, but an even stronger person to forgive."  -  Unknown

Another difficulty some have is in forgiving themselves.   In a way that is a perverted sense of pride.  C. S. Lewis said it best,  "I think that if God forgives us we must forgive ourselves.  Otherwise, it is almost like setting up ourselves as a higher tribunal than Him."   Remember the old saying,  "He is his own worst enemy."  

The first martyr in the early church was Stephen who was stoned to death by the religious leaders.  The account is found at Acts 7:54-60.   Verse 60 reads,  "And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge.  And when he had said this, he fell asleep."

How much did Stephen resemble Jesus in praying for his murderers!  "What a beautiful light does this place the spirit of the Christian religion!  Christ had given what some have supposed to be an impossible command:  Love your enemies; pray for them that despitefully use and persecute you."

(Quote from Adam Clarke commentary)

Remember, refusing to truly forgive a person brings out resentment, anger, and bitterness, which are not the characteristics of a true Christian.   By not forgiving, you are hurting yourself more than the other person.

"And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you."  -  Ephesians 4:32

Below is a wonderful sermon by Charles Stanley titled "Forgiving Hurts That We Don't Deserve"