"How To Light Up Your Life" - With Videos - Inspirational Weekend

 

Recently, while walking in a suburb in Honolulu that is not near where I live, I passed a church that often posts encouraging comments on its sign outside.  That day the comment read: "Danger: satan is dimming our light so slowly the darkness seems normal."

Talk about food for thought!

Christians already know where this article is leading.  But for many others,  it may be a new notion.

Following is a short devotional by In Touch Ministries (Dr. Charles Stanley) concerning "Rejecting The Darkness) with its scriptural basis of Ephesians 5:1-7

And a very enlightening 36 minute sermon below by Pastor David Wilkerson titled : Man's Hour of Darkness Is God's Hour Of Power".  Please watch !

Christians are familiar with John 8:12 which tells us:  "Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying,  I am the light of the world, he that followeth Me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life."

There we have, in the Savior's words at John 8, the way in which we may "Light up our lives."

  Belief and Faith in Jesus as the Savior, and also to "follow" Him as best we can, is the key to light and completeness.  We will never be perfect this side of heaven, but we should endeavor to follow Jesus; to walk in His footsteps, so to speak.

"And He said to them all, If any man will come after Me, let Him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me."     -  Jesus at Luke 9:23

 

Keep in mind, that any "righteousness" we have, it is not really "our righteousness"  but the righteousness which comes from the Lord.  

Romans 3:10 informs us:  "As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one."

We are only justified by the blood of Christ.

"Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: By  Whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God."  -   Romans 5 :1-2

"Much more then, being now justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him.  For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son, much more being reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.  And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by Whom we have now received the atonement."   -  Romans 5:9-11

 

 Being realistic, things are tough right now, and a bit overwhelming,  but only if you take your eyes and mind off of Jesus and God's promises.  We believers have a hope and faith that should give us strength and endurance.

"Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; Who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto Himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works." -   Titus 2:13-14

Following is an excellent devotional by Charles Spurgeon titled - "The Lord Our Righteousness" which is a quote from Jeremiah 23:6 :

"It will always give a Christian the greatest calm, quiet, ease, and peace to think of the perfect righteousness of Christ.  How often are the saints of God downcast and sad!  I do not think they ought to be.  I do not think they would if they could always see their perfection in Christ.  There are some who are always talking about corruption and the depravity of the heart, and the innate evil of the soul.  This is quite true, but why not go a little further and remember that we are "Perfect in Christ Jesus."  It is no wonder that those who are dwelling upon their own corruption should wear such downcast looks,  but surely we are called to mind that, "Christ is made unto us righteousness"    we should be of good cheer.   What though distresses afflict me, though satan assault me, though there may be things to be experienced before I get to heaven,  those are done for me in the covenant of divine grace. There is nothing wanting in my Lord.  Christ hath done it all.  On the cross He said, "It is finished."  Then am I complete in Him and can rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory,  "Not having mine own righteousness, which is the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith.    You will not find on this side of heaven a holier people than those who receive into their hearts the doctrine of Christ's righteousness.  When the believer says, "I live on Christ alone; I rest on Him solely for salvation and I believe that,  however unworthy, I am still saved in Jesus; then there rises up as a motive of gratitude this thought: "Shall I not live to Christ, shall I not love Him and serve Him, seeing that I am saved by His merits?"  "The love of Christ constraineth us", that they which live should not live unto themselves, but unto Him which died for them. If saved by imparted righteousness, we shall greatly value imparted righteousness."

In Pastor David Wilkerson's sermon video above, he mentions the old hymn "Jesus is the Light of the world." Following is a recent rendition of that hymn for you to enjoy:

 

Now is the time to turn to the good Lord in faith, for we are living in the last moments of the end times as the Bible has prophesied.

Following are Scriptures which explain salvation.  Please take them to heart and repent if you are not a believer in the Savior Jesus;  put your faith in Him and in His shed blood at the cross which can wash you clean and create in you a new heart.  Pray for forgiveness and turn to the good Lord in complete surrender.

"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 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 said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in Me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in Me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in Me shall never die. Believeth thou this?"              -  John 11:25-26

 "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 3:16

 

Have a blessed and Christ centered weekend -  and life!  

 

 

 

 

 

"Are We Trying Too Hard? And The Purpose Of Life" - with videos - Inspirational Weekend

Regarding the title of this post: "Are you trying too hard to be good enough to come before the presence of God?"  As Pastor Charles Lawson tells us in the following 36 minute sermon video, "You cannot do anything to merit coming before the Father."  The only way you can come before holy God is through Jesus Christ, the Savior and Intercessor. Fellowship with God is not possible if you do not have Jesus.  "You have no righteousness of your own to approach the heavenly Father."

"If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:  But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin."   -   1 John 1:6,7

There are many gems of truth in the above sermon that we can all benefit from.   Pastor Lawson discusses different kinds of angels described in the Bible as well. Please watch!  One Biblical principle is to "humble yourself" in order to come before God.  Even Jesus humbled Himself

before the Almighty God, the sovereign of the universe. (Philippians 2:5-9)

"Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He shall lift you up."  -   James 4:10

"Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder.  Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble."     -   1 Peter 5:5

[Hawaiian Stilt (Ae'o)]

Another requirement to draw close to God and Jesus is, obviously, that we must have FAITH.  This is common knowledge among Christians.  Much has been written on this blog concerning faith. 

"But without faith it is impossible to please Him: for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him."  -   Hebrews 11:6

You will gain great insight on faith by reading all of Hebrews.  Actually, reading the entire Bible and spending much time with the good Lord in prayer will increase your faith; as well as your love and awe and reverence for God. When you see Him working in your life and answering your prayers, how incredibly faith building is that !!

"Every trial of suffering is an opportunity to grow in the faith."  -   T. A. McMahon

You will discover that by fellowshipping often with the good Lord, you will begin to have peace.... a peace with Him as well as in your soul and mind.

"Peace with God brings the peace of  God.  It is a peace that settles our nerves, fills our mind, floods our spirit, and in the midst of the uproar around us, gives us the assurance that everything is all right."  -  Bob Mumford

"These things I have spoken unto you, that in Me ye might have peace.  In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world."  -    Jesus at John 16:33

The above words of our Savior do NOT say that we will not have trials and hardships; it means that even in spite of adversities we will  have a peace knowing that in the end, the Lord will see us through, no matter what.

"Adversity stirs us up and causes us to look at life differently.  We are forced to deal with things on a deeper level.  Nothing causes "self" to cave in like suffering.  And once our religious facade begins to wear thin, God moves in and begins teaching us what real Christlikeness is all about."   -  Dr. Charles Stanley

"Afflictions are but the shadows of God's wings."  -  George Macdonald 

"You and I cannot change or control the world around us, but we can change and control the world within us."  -   Warren Wiersbe

Following is a Must to watch:  a video on the purpose of life by Pastor David Wilkerson : 

Please take the time to watch the above 6 minute sermon clip !  It makes very clear what our focus should be as Christians.

Keep in mind always that the return of Jesus is imminent !  

When He raptures the true believers to be with Him in heaven soon, you do NOT want to be left behind to face the horrors and destructions of the following 7 year tribulation period !  It will be difficult to be saved then by coming to a sincere faith and belief in Jesus Christ as the Savior.  In fact, if you do put your faith in Jesus while suffering under this tribulation period governed by the antichrist,   it is certain you will be put to death.... and by being beheaded.

"And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years."   -  Revelation 20:4

For more information on the 7 year tribulation and the Rapture of the Church and other end times signs, please refer to the "Search Box" in the upper right hand side of this page and enter such topics as "7 year tribulation, Mark of the Beast,"  and so on.  Many posts will appear, and most will also have videos in them.  Also there are various other topics such as "endurance, forgiveness, peace," etc. that you might want to view.

But what if you are an unbeliever and have not come to faith in Jesus as the Savior?  Please take to heart the following Scriptures and pray to the Heavenly Father for forgiveness....and repent!  If you are sincere, God will answer that prayer! 

"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 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 said unto her,  I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in Me, though he were dead,  yet shall he live: and whosoever liveth and believeth in Me shall never die. Believest thou this?"   -   John 11:25-26

"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 3:16

Jesus loves you!

He is waiting to hear from you !

He will welcome you with His open arms full of love and forgiveness!

Put your faith in Him now, before it is too late.!

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

One Resolution To Make And Not Ever Break (With Sermon clip by David Wilkerson)

Here we are at the end of 2019 !   What a year this has been concerning Bible prophecy being fulfilled or the precursors of it ... the beginning stages .... of what the Bible predicted would be true in these last moments of the last days.

What 2020 will bring is exciting to contemplate!  Could the Rapture of the Church to heaven occur in 2020?  Possibly, but only God knows the day and the hour.  We finite humans can only wait and hope the rapture will be soon; for many of us, we long to be with Jesus in heaven. We know that the Rapture is imminent from what the Bible tells us in many places.   Check out Matthew 24, Mark 13, and Luke 21 for signs of the end times.

Some people make New Year's resolutions.   Amir Tsarfati, an evangelist from Israel, said recently in one of his posts:  "There is one resolution that we should all make and never break, and that is to follow Jesus more closely than ever, for He is the light of the world."

"Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying,  I am the Light  of the world.  He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life."  -   John 8:12

Amir Tsarfati also says, "Being led by the Light will always lead us to walk in truth, God's truth.  As the year comes to a close, let's commit to walking in the Light of His Word and speaking the truth in love.  For the light  of the world is coming again for His church so that where He is, we may be also."

In these perilous and evil last days we find ourselves living in, we must not let the world and its desires become desirous to us true believers.   We should be separate from the world, and live only for the good Lord.   That includes sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ with others, of course.

1 John 2:15-17 tells us:  (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 lust thereof: but he that doeth  the will of God abideth for ever."

Following is an 8 minute sermon clip by David Wilkerson on the subject of the true Christian.

In the above sermon, Pastor Wilkerson also mentions being "rapture ready" when Jesus returns for His Bride, the true believers.

"And ye shall seek Me, and find Me, when ye shall search for Me with all your heart."  -   Jeremiah 29:13

"The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear Him, and delivereth them."   -   Psalm 34:7

"Depart from evil, and do good; Seek peace, and pursue it."    -  Psalm 34:14

"The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit."  -  Psalm 34:18

It is highly recommended that you read all of Psalm 34.  

Psalm 46:2 tells us  "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble."

"The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in Whom I will trust."  -  Psalm 18:2

If you are not born again from above, if you have not believed with all your very being that Jesus is the Savior and the only way to God and heaven, I pray that you do so before it is too late.  Jesus will return soon to take true believers to be in heaven with Him, and those who did not surrender in Faith to Christ will be left behind to face the terrors and horrors and destruction that occur during the 7 year Tribulation, after the Rapture of the Church.

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."

"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 3:16