"Beware Of Becoming Lukewarm" (Video with Charles Spurgeon Sermon) - Inspirational Weekend

If you read Revelation 3:14-21 you will discover that Jesus is talking about the lukewarm church of Laodicea.  That church was neither cold nor hot, but lukewarm and nauseating.  So much so that Jesus said at Revelation 3:16

"So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth."

That word "spue" literally means to vomit.   Do you want to be lukewarm and have Jesus feel like vomiting because of you?  Of course you don't if you are a true, born again believer in Christ.  Have you considered that when you don't pray and do not read the Bible, that is a symptom of being lukewarm.   The good Lord wants to have a living, vibrant, love relationship with you.  That requires spending time with Him, communicating with Him through prayer, and by putting Him first in your life.

Another symptom of lukewarmness (and maybe even a sign that you are not truly converted) is becoming like the world; being a part of the world and loving its godless entertainment and excessive materialism; its lusts and desires.  

Consider 1 John 2:15-17,  (15) "Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world.  If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.  (16)  For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father,  but is of the world.  (17)  And the world passeth away, and the lusts thereof:  but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever."

This world, or realm of sin, is controlled by satan and organized against God and righteousness.  We should avoid anything that involves the devil and wickedness.   Your very soul is at stake.  Do the will of God and have eternal life with Him.  

Consider also James 4:4,  "Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God?  whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God."

James makes it clear how God feels when we are friends with the world.....it is enmity with God !  It makes you an enemy of God.

Revelation 2 and 3 deals with the 7 churches in Asia Minor in the apostle John's day and to which Jesus told John to write to each of these as a message from the Lord Himself.  The letter to the Laodicean church was the harshest of the seven.  That church had nothing to commend it.

The vast majority of scholars agree that these seven churches are typical of the Church age throughout history, and that the time we now live in is also like the Laodicean church.  The church today has become lukewarm and worldly.  I am speaking generally, for not all of today's churches are like the ancient one in Laodicea.  If you find yourself in a lukewarm church, leave and search for one that is truly alive and preaching the gospel and putting Jesus first.

Let us be true sheep and follow the Lord our shepherd wherever He leads.  Turn to Him for guidance and instruction, and put your faith in Him and in His promises.

Let us consider Revelation 3:20, which reads,  

"Behold, I stand at the door, and knock:  if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with Me."

Most people take this to mean that Jesus is knocking on the individual unbeliever's heart.  But when you consider the context, the lukewarm church itself is being addressed.  Christ, the Lord of the church, is pictured as knocking on the door of the church.  "The Laodiceans were in danger of closing Jesus out of their church, just as unbelievers can close Him out of their lives."

Beware of becoming lukewarm!  

Following is a 58 minute sermon by Charles Spurgeon with a warning to avoid lukewarmness.  It is worth taking the time to listen to.  Charles Spurgeon is known as "the prince of preachers."

In the above sermon, Spurgeon said something very noteworthy.  "Men are less likely to repent when they are in the middle - neither hot nor cold -  than if they were at the worst extreme in sin.  There is more hope to convert the cold than it is to convert the lukewarm."  

If you are a Christian and you see any signs of lukewarmness in your life and in your attitude,  repent and turn to the Lord and ask for forgiveness.  Begin to pray more often, as well as to be in God's Holy Word daily.   

If you are an unbeliever, do not delay in accepting Jesus and believing in Him as the Savior, whose shed blood at Calvary can wash away your sins and bring forgiveness if you truly repent.  To repent is not just feeling sorrow for your sins for the moment; it means completely renouncing sin and not living in sin anymore.  If one occasionally and unwittingly commits a sin after being saved, he can sincerely repent and ask for forgiveness and the slate will be wiped clean... he will be forgiven.

Turn to the Lord now in faith and in repentance.  Time is fast running out before the Rapture of the Church occurs.  

Do not delay!

"Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves.  Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates."  -  2 Corinthians 13:5

"Jesus saith unto him,  I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me."  -  John 14:6

"He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him."  -  John 3:36

"Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."   -  John 3:3

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

"Fear To Fear" (With Sermon Clips by Charles Spurgeon) - Inspirational Weekend

Big cats are magnificent and quite handsome.   I admire their beauty and regal bearing, but I do not want to be near one in the wild; I do not even want to be alone with them at the zoo except when I am protected by glass and walls and barriers.   Yes, I have a healthy fear where big cats are concerned; a self-preserving fear.  A healthy fear can be a blessing and can show wisdom on our part.

But there is another kind of fear we need to be alert about.  Thus the title of this post, "Fear to Fear".  Charles Spurgeon says it best in this short 2 minute sermon clip:

In other words, "Be afraid to be afraid".   Do not be a coward.  

"But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone,  which is the second death."    -    Revelation 21:8

The above verse shows us clearly just how God views the fearful....He lumps them together with murderers and the unbelieving and all liars (etc.), and tells us that they will be tormented forever in hell.

Being fearful shows a lack of faith and trust in God.  If it is a constant fear, perhaps you are not truly born again.  You need to get down on your knees and pray for deliverance and forgiveness.  Read your Bible daily and pray without ceasing.   When you develop a close, intimate, personal love relationship with God through Jesus Christ, you will learn to put all of your hope and faith and trust in Him, and any morbid fear will disappear.  

When you are a genuine believer and have truly been born again, the Holy Spirit within you will remove all fear.  Also, to have all fear removed, we must love the Lord with all of our heart, soul, mind and strength  (Mark 12:30).  

"A perfect faith would lift us absolutely above fear."  -   George Macdonald

"Faith, which is trust, and fear are opposite poles.  If a man has the one, he can scarcely have the other in vigorous operation.  He that has his trust set upon God does not need to dread anything except the weakening or the paralyzing of that trust."    -   Alexander MacLaren.

"The only known antidote to fear is faith."   -  Woodrow Kroll

So trust and faith in the good Lord will cast out fear.  

Psalm 27:1 tells us, "The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?  The LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?"

"There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear; because fear hath torment.  He that feareth is not made perfect in love."    -  1 John 4:18

Not only does faith in the Lord cast out fear, but also love will set you free from fear as well.   As you grow and mature in faith and in a strong and intimate relationship with God,  your love for Him and for obeying Him in total surrender will increase.  You will love Him with all of your heart and will desire to please Him in everything.  As God answers your prayers and guides you, your love and faith will grow by leaps and bounds.  

Following is a beautiful hymn about not being afraid:

There is One whom we should fear however; with a healthy, reverent fear and with love.

Ecclesiastes 12:13 tells us,  "Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep His commandments: for this is the whole duty of man."

"Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God."  -  2 Corinthians 7:1

It is evident from the Scriptures that we should have a healthy, reverent fear of the good Lord.  Fear to grieve Him, fear to disobey Him, fear to displease Him in any way.  He is our Creator, the Sovereign of the universe, the only true God; therefore we should be in awe of Him and serve Him in humility and obedience.

Following is another 2 minute sermon clip by Charles Spurgeon titled "Fear Only God".  In it Spurgeon tells us,  "He who fears God has nothing else to fear."

Have a Christ centered weekend !

"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

"Peace I leave with you, My peace I give unto you:  not as the  world giveth,  give I unto you.  Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid."   -  Jesus at John 14:27

"Choices And Consequences" - Inspirational Weekend

The giraffe keeps its head high and aims high; it is never found wallowing in the dust in a state of depression.  At the Honolulu Zoo I had the thrill of watching one run with all of its heart, thoroughly enjoying life.  

The Christian should run this race of life with joy and enthusiasm, with an eye to the will of the Lord and always endeavoring to obey Him.  Obeying God will bring joy and rewards when we are careful in the choices we make.  

The ultimate choice is to choose the will of God.  Following is a 2 minute sermon clip by Charles Spurgeon, titled "My Choice Is His Choice":

"I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live:"   -  Deuteronomy 30:19

To choose life instead of death is the most important choice a person will ever make.  It means to accept Jesus Christ as your Savior and to follow in His footsteps.  If  a person chooses Jesus (life) it will secure all other choices, for the reason why we often choose badly is because we have failed in that one great choice of all.

Not to make a choice is still a choice..... a choice to not follow Christ; a choice to not choose life.

"Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me."  -  John 14:6

All that is worth having in this world or the next is in that word "Life".  "Therefore choose life."

How can a person deliberately sin, whether it be drunkenness or fornication or you name it (Galatians 5:19-21), and know that he is going against God's will and commandments and yet he still expects to see life eternal in heaven? What if his wife is a Christian and he has young children and they are taken up in the Rapture of the church and he is left behind to face the 7 year tribulation without them?   Choices !   Unless that person gets saved during the tribulation, he will never see his family again.  

Do not be like the above little fennec fox and be asleep and oblivious to the signs of the times and the fact that we are living in the last hour of the last days and that Jesus could come for true believers at any time now.  As stated before, read Matthew 24, Mark 13, and Luke 21 where you will find the signs of the end times.  

There are many other choices we make in a lifetime, in a year, a month, a day, that will directly affect our future and our standing with the good Lord.

"Every choice you make has an end result."  -  Zig Ziglar

"Our lifestyle, language, attitudes, and manner of dress reflect on His name.  He leads us in paths of righteousness for His name's sake.  Unless you are honestly convinced that the thing in question will bring glory to God, then don't do it."  -  Curtis Hutson

Remember Adam and Eve and how, in the garden of Eden, they made a choice;  a choice that not only brought about sin for them, but for all mankind.  

But the mercy of God provided a way - a Savior - to redeem us if we but have faith in Jesus, believe He is the promised Savior, and that we turn from our sin in true repentance.  We need to pray to the Lord for forgiveness, and thereby be born again to a new life.  A life of love and devotion to the good Lord, and to become a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17), totally surrendered to Jesus.

Someone once said, "Sometimes the greatest battle has to be fought alone." 

Choose Christ!

Galatians 6:7-8 tells us (7) "Be not deceived;  God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.  (8) For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting."

"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.  And be not conformed to this world, but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God."   -   Romans 12:1-2

"Do Not Be Troubled At Heart" (With Videos and Charles Spurgeon Sermon) - Inspirational Weekend

You may be thinking, "The world is falling apart, another World War is on the horizon, how can I not be troubled?"   May I remind you that the good Lord is in control, and things are not falling apart, but instead are falling into place, according to Bible prophecy.

Although we will concentrate here on John 14:1, let us also read verses 1-4 of John 14:

 (1) "Let not your heart be troubled:  ye believe in God, believe also in Me.  (2) In My Father's house are many mansions:  if it were not so, I would have told you.  I go to prepare a place for you.  (3)  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto Myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.  (4)  And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know."  

What comfort do those above words of Jesus bring to all who love Him and long to be with Him in heaven soon!  The whole 14th chapter of John is Jesus comforting His disciples.  He had previously told them that He would suffer and die and would be leaving them shortly, so now He sought to comfort the disciples.  His words are of great consolation to His followers in this modern age as well.  

Following is a beautiful song titled "Do Not Let Your Hearts Be Troubled", by David and Renae Haas.

Sometimes there is nothing quite like a hymn or worship song to bring comfort to the soul.  I urge all of you who have a computer to go to You Tube and listen to old time hymns every morning before your Bible study.  God wants us to rejoice and be glad in Him; to praise Him and to follow in the footsteps of His Son, Jesus Christ.

But remember, no hymn or anything else can take the place of reading and studying God's Holy Word.  Also much prayer is needed to develop a close , personal, intimate, love relationship with the Lord.  Pray to the good Lord to give you an extra portion of His Holy Spirit to enable you to comprehend and live by His Word.  

"The saints could not be perfected but by Jesus' shed blood and the renewing by the Holy Spirit."  -  Charles Spurgeon

Let your heart be kept with the full trust in God.  Christ's disciples, more than any others, should keep their minds quiet, when everything else is unquiet.  The remedy against a troubled mind is to believe.  If you have trouble believing, pray to the Lord for strength and for giving you more of the Holy Spirit, which will enable you to believe in God and Jesus, and in all of the promises which they have made.  Pray believing that you will receive. 

"And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive."    -   Matthew 21:22  

Following is a sermon by Charles Spurgeon on John 14.  For those who are not familiar with him, He was born in 1834 and died in 1892.  He was a Baptist preacher at the congregation of The New Park Street Chapel (later the Metropolitan Tabernacle) in London for 38 years.   Before he was 20, Spurgeon had preached over 600 times.  He has been called "The Prince of Preachers", although he was also an author of many various types of works.  

Spurgeon's sermon here is 51 minutes long, but I pray that you take the time to listen to it.

Spurgeon says,  " Be not troubled!  Your Savior reigns.  He lives!  He is not far away!  ..... Do not worry!  Jesus will come again!  He will receive His followers.  All of this is near at hand!   We will be with the Lord forever......endless bliss!"

If you have never surrendered your life to the good Lord, now is the time !  His return is imminent!  You need to be repentant of your sins, confess them to the Lord, be sincere in your belief that Jesus is the only way to salvation.  Believe that His blood shed at Calvary washes away your sins....He will wipe the slate clean when you come to Him in faith and repentance.   You will be assured of eternal life with Jesus forever !  

"All that the Father giveth Me shall  come to Me; and him that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out."   -  John 6:37

"Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on Me hath everlasting life."    -  John 6:47

"Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life:  no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me."    -  John 14:6

"God Is A Sanctuary" (Videos) - Inspirational Weekend

These cattle egrets seem to have found themselves a tranquil sanctuary in the branches of an extremely large old tree.  A sanctuary can be a church or an area in your home where you pray to and worship God, or any place of refuge where you feel safe and protected.  The ancient Jews, as mentioned in the Bible at Numbers 35:11-15, had cities of refuge where the person who accidentally killed someone could flee to for safety from the avenger of blood.

But God Himself called Himself a sanctuary:

"Therefore say, thus saith the LORD God; although I have cast them far off among the heathen, and although I have scattered them among the countries yet will I be to them as a little sanctuary in the countries where they shall come."  -  Ezekiel 11:16

Following is a 2 minute sermon clip by Charles Spurgeon on the above verse: 

The ancient Jews were sent into exile in other countries because God was punishing them for their lack of respect for Him and for their disobedience and rebellion.  It was an event that displayed the holiness of God; and it was a severe punishment for His people.  The event was to show God's goodness. Even in judgment, He showed mercy.  It was not His intention to destroy, but to correct and reform.

The good Lord assured His people that He would be "a little sanctuary" for them wherever they went.  In using the word "little", perhaps God was saying that He would be as they were; that He would bow down to their littleness and be to each one of them a little sanctuary.  "When the Lord communes with the greatest of men, He must become little to speak with them."  The dispersion made the Jews able to worship God everywhere without a material temple.

"And He shall be for a sanctuary....."  -  Isaiah 8:14a

"Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe Me, the hour cometh when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father. (22)  Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews. (23)  But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth; for the Father seeketh such to worship Him.  (24) God is a Spirit: and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth."   -  John 4:21-24

A sanctuary was a place of refuge, a place of worship, a place of mercy, the house of mercy, and a place of great holiness.  God Himself is all of that and more.  He will be to us a place of communion and of revelation.  He answers our prayers, and today He "speaks" to us through the Bible, His Holy Word.  So you may find in God and Jesus your sanctuary.  All that you ever could want or need.

If for some reason, either sickness or a long journey, you are unable to go to the house of God, remember that God is your sanctuary and you can worship Him and pray to Him from your home or hospital.  

Below is a song video that relates to this message, although it does not mention God Himself as being our sanctuary:

If you are an unbeliever, you need to turn now to the Lord in repentance before it is too late.  Before Jesus returns to take true believers to be home with Him in heaven; or else you will be left behind to face unbelievable horrors during the 7 year tribulation period after the Rapture of the church occurs.  Your eternal destiny, heaven or hell, is what is at stake.

"But if from thence thou shalt seek the LORD thy God, thou shalt find Him, if thou seek Him with all thy heart and all thy soul."   -  Deuteronomy 4:29

"Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father but by Me."  -  John 14:6

Jesus is ready to receive you in His loving embrace.  His outstretched arms will receive you with joy and with pardon for your sins.

All it takes is true repentance and a prayer for forgiveness. And, of course, a belief and faith in Jesus as your Savior and belief in His resurrection.

Romans 10:9,10,13 tells us :  (9) "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.  (10) For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.  (13) For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved."

"Being Reflectors Of God's Beauty" (With Videos) - Inspirational Weekend

Recently I wrote here about "Beauty, Art, and God".  Then I wrote primarily about how God loves beauty and how He is a Master Artist as all of creation testifies.  This weekend I will focus on the beauty of the Lord Himself, and how we should, as true believers, reflect His beauty and His attributes in our conduct and in all of our life.

"And let the beauty of the LORD our God be upon us: and establish thou the work of our hands upon us; yea, the work of our hands establish thou it."  -  Psalm 90:17

"One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to inquire in His temple."  -  Psalm 27:4

First, just what does it mean to say "the beauty of the LORD"?

Matthew Poole's Commentary tells us it is "His favorable countenance, and gracious influence, and glorious presence."

The word  translated "beauty" here means pleasantness, then beauty, as well as splendor.  Holiness is also the beauty of the Lord (Psalm 110:3), as is His goodness (Zechariah 9:17).  You can pretty much sum it all up by saying that "The harmony of all His attributes is the beauty of His nature"; as Matthew Henry tells us.

Here is a song video about the beauty of the Lord:

In Psalm 90:17 it says "let the beauty of the Lord be upon us."   This not only means the Lord's blessing upon us, but also that we may endeavor to exhibit some of the Lord's beauty and attributes in our own speech, conduct, and attitudes....that we may reflect God's holiness, His goodness, His love, His patience, and so much more.  This becomes more manifest as we grow spiritually to maturity in our walk with the Lord.  His beauty will inspire us to be filled with love and gratitude towards Him, and to be on fire to witness to others about the Gospel; to be reflectors of His beauty.  

When we became true believers, we became a new person (2 Corinthians 5:17).    "And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of Him that created him:"   -  Colossians 3:10.   This is possible because at salvation God changes the believer's nature.  Therefore we can reflect the Lord's beauty by having a holy nature; a heart that has been transformed; a godly life will be the outcome of our conversion.  And a godly life is a wonderful reflection on the beautiful, saving power of our Lord.  

"For whom He did foreknow, He also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn amongst many brethren."  -  Romans 8:29

Romans 8:29 is referring to believers having the moral  conformity to the likeness of God's Son.

All of these holy attributes we acquire at conversion (although it takes time to mature spiritually, the possibilities are there) because at conversion we are sealed with the Holy Spirit, which empowers us to live a godly life and to reflect the beauty of the Lord.

"In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise," -  Ephesians 1:13

Following is a sermon clip  (about 2 minutes in length) by Charles Spurgeon on being reflectors of the Lord's beauty:

The beauty of the Lord is also found in redemption and, as stated previously, in His creation; as well as the revelation of His character and work in Scripture.   If you are a true believer, you need to endeavor to develop a strong, close, personal and intimate relationship with the Lord through Jesus Christ, and that will empower you to grow in maturity and to be filled with love and devotion to God like you have never experienced before.  In order to have this close relationship, you need to be in prayer often; you cannot have a good relationship with someone you never communicate with.  Daily reading of God's Word is important as well, for God "speaks" through the Bible.  You get to know more about Him and Jesus when you read His Holy Word, thereby growing closer to Him.

If you are an unbeliever, you need to turn to God before it is too late.   None of us know whether we will be alive tomorrow, or even in our next few minutes.   Now is the time to give your life and devotion to the Lord, so you will not suffer the coming 7 year Tribulation and eventually hell itself.  

Pray and ask God for forgiveness. Honestly repent of your sins and do not continue living in sin;  Believe that Jesus is the Savior and only through Him is eternal life in heaven possible.  Believe that God raised Jesus from the dead, and that His shed blood on the cross can wash your sins away; redeem you.

Jesus is waiting with open arms of love and forgiveness if only you will come to Him in full faith and belief and in repentance.  

Romans 10:9,10,13 tells us,  (9) "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. (10) For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. (13) For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved."

"Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me."   -  John 14:6

"And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us.  God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him."  -  1 John 4:16

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

"Heaven ! More Glorious Than We Can Imagine !" (Videos) - Inspirational Weekend

Everyone, even unbelievers, perk up their ears and pay attention when heaven is mentioned.   And everyone wants to go there, or they should want to.  Most Americans believe in heaven, and most of them hope to go there when they die.  The truth is, man, having an immortal soul, was made to live forever somewhere.   

"Those who go to heaven ride on a pass and enter into blessings that they never earned, but all who go to hell pay their own way."     -  John R. Rice

We will only concentrate on heaven in this post, and how glorious it will be.   The most wonderful part of heaven for believers is the fact that we will be with Jesus there for all of eternity. He is our Savior and  our Redeemer, and we love Him with all of our being.

Following is a cheerful discussion on what heaven will be like from prophecywatchers.com, featuring Gary Stearman and his guest, pastor Tom Hughes :

They speculate what heaven will be like, such as will there be grass in heaven, will there be baseball, and the like.  But it is not all fanciful wishing; there are some good nuggets of truth in this video.

Concerning our journey in this life, I enjoyed what Tom Hughes said,  "The Bible is our travel guide, and Jesus is our tour guide."  Jesus is now in heaven preparing a place for true believers:

" In My Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you.  I go to prepare a place for you.  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto Myself; that where I am, there ye may be also."   -  John 14:2-3

In the above verses, Jesus tells us that He will come again and receive us to Himself to be with Him in heaven.  He is referring to the Rapture of the Church, the body of true believers.  Jesus could return at any moment to take believers with Him to their eternal home.  

Are you ready?

At the end, after the 7 year Tribulation and the antichrist and the false prophet and satan are cast into the lake of fire (Revelation 19 and Revelation 20), the Bible book of Revelation 21 tells us:

"(1) And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.  (2) And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. (3) And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God Himself shall be with them, and be their God.  (4)  And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away."

The above verses are among the most beautiful and comforting in the Bible.  We need to dwell on such beautiful verses to counteract all the negativity in today's world of evil and violence and wars.   God's Holy Word gives us comfort and hope and a reason for living, that reason being to glorify God; to worship Him and to do His will and to live for Him and to bring lost souls to Jesus.

"For our conversation [citizenship] is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ;"  -  Philippians 3:20

"Life, if properly viewed in any aspect, is great, but mainly great when viewed in its relation to the world to come."  -  Albert Barnes

Following is a sermon on heaven by Charles Spurgeon.  It is excellent and is only 37 minutes in length. 

In the above sermon, Spurgeon stresses that our imagination cannot truly picture heaven.  He says, "To know more of heaven, spend more time in prayer."

There is only one way to heaven !

Jesus !!

Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life:  no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me."  -  John 14:6

"Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved."   -  Acts 4:12

Please read all of John 3.  Most all of you are no doubt familiar with John 3:16 ,  "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life."

John the Baptist said, "He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him."  -  John 3:36

To be saved, you need to admit that you are a sinner and that you need a Savior.  Repent and pray for forgiveness.  Believe in faith that Jesus died for you and that His death on the cross paid for your sins in full; His shed blood redeems you.  All you need to do is to have faith and believe in Him and in His resurrection.  

"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.  For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.   ......  For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved"   -  Romans 10:9,10, 13

"Jesus answered and said unto him,  Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."  -  John 3:3

"Faith And Prayer Move God" - Inspirational Weekend

The title of this post, "Faith And Prayer Move God", is a quote from E.M. Bounds.  In his book on prayer, he stresses that faith and prayer work together.  There is power in prayer!  There is power in faith!  "Prayer is simply faith", says Mr. Bounds.  It is said also that faith is trust in something....a belief, a conviction, and a hope.

"True godliness is just as true, steady, and persevering in the realm of faith as it is in the province of prayer.  Moreover, when faith ceases to pray, it ceases to live."   -  E. M. Bounds

In my own life, I have discovered that when God does answer my prayers, it serves to increase my faith whenever I reflect on those answered prayers in hindsight.  I have also learned that to wait on God is a strong demonstration of faith.  

"Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen."  -  Hebrews 11:1

The entire chapter of Hebrews 11 defines faith and mentions prophets and others, like Noah and Abraham (and many others), who proved their faith.  

"Faith is trust or commitment to what you think is true."    -  William Lane Craig

"Faith knows there will be delays in answering prayer, and regards such delays as times of testing, in the which, it is privileged to show its mettle, and the stern stuff of which it is made."     - E. M. Bounds

The power of prayer is the power of God.  He hears and answers all prayers, even if the answer is no.  

"And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive."   -   Matthew 21:22

"Prayer is a shield to the soul, a sacrifice to God, and a scourge for satan."  -  John Bunyan

"Prayer - secret, fervent, believing prayer - lies at the root of all personal godliness."  -  William Carey

"Prayer is the acid test of devotion."  -  Samuel Chadwick

Following is a beautiful hymn from 1740 by Charles Wesley.

So much could be written about faith and prayer; indeed, much has already been written on those topics.  In writing this post and in reading Scriptures on faith and prayer, I was very edified and I hope you are as well.

Following is an excellent sermon by Charles Spurgeon on the life and walk of faith :

In the above sermon, Charles Spurgeon stresses abiding in Christ always.  "Jesus is your all in all" and we should "find substance in Christ.....Ye are complete in Christ!"   Spurgeon is known as "The prince of preachers" and his sermons are deep yet explanatory.  I pray that you will listen to the entire message.

When you pray and have faith in the Lord, your priorities will change.   You will realize that the only important thing in this life is God and Jesus, and you will live your life accordingly, with the goal of being more like the Savior. 

Remember, when we pray, we need to ask according to God's will, or our prayers will not be answered.   Also, we need to repent of any and all sin so that we come to the Lord forgiven and clean, and He will listen to us with love and understanding.

"Now we know that God heareth not sinners: but if any man be a worshipper of God, and doeth His will, him He heareth."  -  John 9:31


Have a blessed and Christ-centered weekend !



"Be careful [anxious] for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.  And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."      -  Philippians 4:6-7

"Pray without ceasing."  -  1 Thessalonians 5:17

"So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God."  -   Romans 10:17

"And whatsoever ye shall ask in My name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.  If ye shall ask any thing in My name, I will do it."   -   John 14:13-14

"Let's Talk About Love" - Inspirational Weekend

This Christmas cactus was a gift from about 5 years ago from my son and daughter-in-law.  It blooms once every year about this time, although one year it bloomed twice, about a month apart.  The above photo was taken this week.

I "love" this plant !  I look forward to its salmon and white blossoms every year and take good care of it all year with fertilizing and pampering it, all the while anticipating what the results will be for all my efforts when it blooms again.   

People today use the word "love" loosely to apply to everything, it seems.   In English we only have one word for love, but in the ancient Greek some say there were 4 types of love, and still others say the Greeks recognized 6 varieties of love.  I will not go into detail about all 6 types, but I will mention them here.  

(1)  Eros,  or sexual passion; or romantic love.

(2) Philia, or deep friendship.  The Greeks valued this type of love far more than Eros.  Then there is  Storge,   which is another kind of Philia. and involves the love between parents and their children.

(3) Pragma,  or long standing love.  This mostly involves the deep understanding that develops between couples that have been married for many years.  

(4)  Philautia,   or self-love.  The Greeks recognized 2 types, one of which was an unhealthy narcissism, and the other which enhanced your ability to broaden your love to include others because you felt secure in yourself and cared for yourself and therefore had more love to give to others.

(5)  Ludus,  or playful love, as in children or young lovers.  It is seen in the flirting and teasing in the beginning stages of a relationship.

(6)  Agape,  unconditional love.   The love God and Jesus have for mankind, and the love that mankind (believers) have for the Lord.  And, of course, it is the love that Jesus has for His Father.

Most Christians have heard of these types of love, especially Philia and Agape.  Agape is the highest form of love, or charity, and we will focus primarily on Agape in this post.  Agape love never ends, no matter what the circumstances may be.  C.S. Lewis referred to it as "gift love."  Agape was later translated into Latin as "Caritas", from which we get our word "Charity", which, if you read the King James version of the Bible, is used extensively in 1 Corinthians 13:

"Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself,  is not puffed up, doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.  "    -  1 Corinthians 13:4-7

When a person is truly born again, He will have intense love for God and Jesus, especially when he recognizes what a sinner he is and that Jesus, in love, died on the cross so that by His shed blood we could be redeemed; washed white as snow in the blood of Jesus.  When we try to comprehend such an immense and sacrificial love, we are overcome with gratitude and love for all that our Savior has done for us.  For we are born again (John 3:3) and we are a new creation :

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

Out of our love and gratitude to the Lord for all He has done on our behalf, we need to cultivate a strong, personal and intimate love relationship with Him by much prayer and Bible reading.  It is rather like I pamper and take care of my Christmas cactus all year long, to reap the benefits and joy when it blossoms in all of its beauty and magnificence.  A relationship with the Lord needs attention and cultivation in order to bring forth fruit and to grow and blossom into a beautiful association of love and trust and obedience, with the final joy and reward of being with the Lord for all of eternity.   Let us also "blossom" with a radiance that befits followers of Christ; a heart full of love and compassion and true agape love for our Creator.  Reflect often on His care and love for you; it will enable you to appreciate Him and to love Him even more.  Pray often; read your Bible daily, for in so doing you begin to know Jesus better and to know Him is to love Him and to thereby live your life accordingly - a life that is pleasing to the Lord. 

"He loved us not because we are lovable, but because He is love."  -  C.S. Lewis

"He who loves with purity considers not the gift of the Lover, but the love of the giver."  -  Thomas A. Kempis

"Faith makes all things possible.  Love makes all things easy."     -  Dwight L. Moody

For more of my posts about love, please go to the Search Box in the upper right hand area of this page and type in "Love" and several articles will appear.  So much could be written about love.  The main thing is to be sure that the love of God and of Jesus is deep within your heart.  If that is true of you, then you will be empowered to live a godly life, a life that bears much fruit, and you can then resist temptations easily.

Following is a wonderful sermon by Charles Spurgeon on "The Secret Of Loving God!"

"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."                                 Jesus at Mark 12:30-31

Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love Me, he will keep My words, and My Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him."   -  John 14:23

"You Must Be Holy To Enter Heaven" - Inspirational Weekend

Hamakua Marsh on Oahu, Hawaii,(shown in my photo above) is a bird lovers paradise and I enjoy visiting there and taking many photographs.  Again, the beauty of Hawaii is a small glimpse of a paradise on earth.  The paradise of God's heaven is too wonderful to even comprehend with our finite minds!  

Two previous posts on this blog have dealt with how to enter the Kingdom of God;  one is about repentance and being born again found here , and the other about how humility and being childlike is necessary to enter God's kingdom which is found here.  I urge you to read both posts, and meditate upon the Scriptures found there.

Today, we will focus on holiness.   I have dealt with this topic previously last year.  Now I will go into more depth about the meaning of holiness and how you need to be holy to enter heaven, God's Kingdom.

"Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord."  -  Hebrews 12:14

A short note on being peaceable:  we are not to engage in or instigate litigation, strifes, or slander.  We are to make war with sin, but not with people; with bad passions and corrupt desires, but not with our fellowman.   Being peaceable is part of being holy.

"They who are expecting to be saved without holiness or religion, are destined for certain disappointment.  Heaven and earth will pass away but God will not admit one unrepenting and unpardoned sinner to enter heaven.  "   

Notice in Hebrews 12:14 that it says to "follow holiness."  You will not gain holiness by just sitting still and doing nothing.  It requires effort; you need to deliberately pursue holiness with a passion.  To be holy means to be a true follower of Jesus Christ.  Holiness requires cultivation.   "You must pursue it with determination; with eagerness, with long-continued perseverance, as a hunter pursues his prey."

Remember, there is no heaven without holiness.

  

"You cannot achieve holiness by your own effort.  But Christ can do it for you, and He can begin it now.  Believe on Him and He will begin with you; in fact, that believing will be the fruit of His having begun with you."  (Charles Spurgeon)

Pray for the Lord to help you to become holy.  Read and study your Bible and pray without ceasing  (1 Thessalonians 5:17).  All Scripture is inspired by God.  Therefore, God "speaks" to you through the reading of His Word.  The more you take in spiritual food, the more spiritual (and therefore holier) you will become.

Someone has said, "Holiness is the beauty and ornament of the soul."   Also, "It {holiness} is our brightest resemblance to God; our principle glory in this world, and our highest happiness in the next."

Holiness is the fruit of sovereign and effectual grace .  (Ezekiel 36:25-26)

"Now if our text {Hebrews 12:14} said that without perfection of holiness no man could have any communion with Christ, it would shut every one of us out, for no one, who knows his own heart, ever pretends to be perfectly conformed to God's will..  It does not say "perfection of holiness", mark: but "holiness".  This holiness is a thing of growth.  As the spirit of God waters it, it will grow till the mustard-seed shall become a tree."   -  Charles Spurgeon

I have shared the following sermon previously, but felt it needed to be shared again on this post.   It is a  45 minute sermon by Charles Spurgeon titled "Holiness Demanded".   

 "I have now concentrated all my prayers into one, and that one prayer is this, that I may die to self, and live holy to Him".      -  Charles Spurgeon

"The greatest test of whether the holiness we profess to seek or to attain is truth and life will be whether it produces an increasing humility in us.  In man, humility is the one thing needed to allow God's holiness to dwell in him and shine through him.  The chief mark of counterfeit holiness is lack of humility.  The holiest will be the humblest."   -  Andrew Murray

"Holiness consists of three things -  separation from sin, dedication to God, transformation into Christ's image.  It is in vain that we talk about the last, unless we know something experimentally about the first."  -  James H. Aughey

"If Christ has died for me - ungodly as I am, without strength as I am - then I can no longer live in sin, but must arouse myself to love and serve Him who has redeemed me.  I cannot trifle with the evil that killed my best Friend.  I must be holy for His sake.  How can I live in sin when He has died to save me from it?"  -  Charles Spurgeon  

True holiness is seated in the heart.  It is not just a name you or someone else gives you, but rather your inward nature.   It is a divine principle embedded deep within your heart and soul.  The only way one can become holy is by a personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ; by fellow-shipping with Him; by knowing Him intimately and desiring His will above all else.   You must be born again (John 3:3) and renewed in your mind (Romans 12:1-2) in order to be holy.  But, of course, to begin with, you need to repent and turn from your sin and accept Jesus Christ as your Savior (John 3:16); to have faith in Him by grace and to believe His shed blood on the cross can wipe all your sins away; and believe also in His resurrection  (Romans 10:9,10,13).  

"Holiness is not a single grace, but an assemblage of all the graces. and extends to all the duties of the Christian life.  ..... It is not meekness, humility, faith, hope or charity; but all these united...."

True holiness in man is through the mediation of Christ.  Only as we begin to know Jesus can we grow in holiness as, at the same time, we increase in the knowledge of Him.  "Real saints are a living image of the invisible Savior."

Beware of self-love that may prompt us to love God for His goodness to us.  Many unregenerate men may have a selfish love towards God because of a selfish heart.  "But to love God because He is infinitely holy, is a disposition natural to a renewed soul only, and argues a conformity to His image."

Ponder these things, and may grace abound towards you as you enter this Christ-filled weekend.

"But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life."       -  Romans 6:22

"Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God."  -  2 Corinthians 7:1  

"And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness."  -  Ephesians 4:24