God said, “Now we will make humans, and they will be like us. We will let them rule the fish, the birds, and all other living creatures.” So God created humans to be like himself; he made men and women. God gave them his blessing and said: Have a lot of children! Fill the earth with people and bring it under your control. Rule over the fish in the ocean, the birds in the sky, and every animal on the earth.
Genesis 1:26-28 CEV The "Over Population" of planet earth is never a concern for God! No where in Scripture does He tell us that we need to be concerned that there are too many people on the earth. The Blood of Jesus is powerful enough to cover the sins of every descendant of Adam and Eve. I don't remember who first said it, but there is "Room at the Cross" for everyone! Simply put, if you bring ten people to a knowledge of Jesus Christ and they bring ten others, the job will be done when that happens only ten times! There are less than 8 billion people on earth today! If you tell 10 people who tell 10 people, when that is repeated less than a dozen times everyone will know about Jesus! Covid19 is a deadly imitation of what can happen with the Gospel of Jesus Christ! In a short period of time it can spread around the world and touch every culture, country, village and town! When the Gospel goes Viral it will spread life and not death! Take off your mask and breathe the breath of life on all those around you today as you tell them the Story of Jesus! "Lord Jesus give me the courage today to tell someone about You and what You have done for all of us! May Your Name be praised now and forever. Amen."
Click here to listen to blog God did not keep back his own Son, but he gave him for us. If God did this, won't he freely give us everything else? Romans 8:32 - CEV When you hear a sermon on "Giving" you might think the preacher is going to talk about what you should give to God. But giving is not primarily about us as humans. Giving is about God and what He gave and continues to give to us! Jesus came to earth, not to bring judgement to men, but rather Eternal Life. Jesus is God's gift to you. When you give your life to Jesus, you are only doing the same thing that He did for you. What has Jesus given you beyond forgiveness of your sins and the right to spend Eternity with Him in Heaven? Is there more than that? Romans 8:32 says that God will "freely give us everything else." What is the "everything else" that God gives us? The Bible clearly says that it is beyond our imagination to know what God is going to do for us for Eternity. You can rest assured that the Blessings of Heaven will be Wonderful and greater than any wild speculation could dream up! It will be a pinnacle of joy that is not for a just moment, but goes on forever! And yes, it is many times greater than that! As humans, we don't have the eyes to see, the ears to hear, the taste buds to appreciate, the nose to smell or the mind to understand all the joys of Heaven. Our human senses are limited to earthly experiences, but in Heaven we will have a new set of abilities that will go far beyond what we now can experience! The best we can do here is to anticipate the Glory of Eternity, and live in the expectation of living forever without all the things that bring suffering and death here, but will not be there! So when you think about the time that God has appointed for you to leave this earth, and you are a follower of Jesus Christ, let your mind be at peace and your heart rejoice for what is coming next! "Lord Jesus, I know I can't even imagine the blessings of Eternity, but I can, like a child look forward to 'Christmas Morning in Heaven' when I see all the things You have prepared as Eternal Blessings for me. May Your Holy and Righteous Name be Praised now and forever. Amen."
We believe Jesus died and was raised to life. We also believe that when God brings Jesus back again, he will bring with him all who had faith in Jesus before they died.
1 Thessalonians 4:14 - CEV
Almost 80 years ago a famous World War II general declared "I will return" when he left the Philippines! A few years later he did return and fulfilled his promise.
Jesus Christ also declared that He will return to planet earth and gather His followers to be with Him forever! But if you die before that day this verse in I Thessalonians tells us that you will return with Jesus on the Day of His Second Coming! As a follower of Jesus Christ you will be there when Jesus returns. You will either look up and see Him returning with the clouds or you will be looking down with Him as you join Him in His return!
All of the Jesus followers will be there on that Day. No Christian will be missing on the Day of the Second Coming! And then will begin the forever of Eternity and we can only imagine what it will be like.
"Lord Jesus, we wait and hope that even today may be the Day when You return and take us Home to be with You forever. Praise Your Holy and Righteous Name now and always! Amen."
Jesus said: I tell you for certain only thieves and robbers climb over the fence instead of going in through the gate to the sheep pen. But the gatekeeper opens the gate for the shepherd, and he goes in through it. The sheep know their shepherd's voice. He calls each of them by name and leads them out. When he has led out all of his sheep, he walks in front of them, and they follow, because they know his voice. John 10:1-4 - CEV
Walking on the Path to Heaven can be confusing for someone who lives on earth! There are many voices who will claim to tell you the next step you need to take on your journey. But there is only one way to Heaven and that way is Jesus Christ Himself. There is no other one who can lead you to Eternity and no other path that will end in Heaven!
How then do you know that you are going the right way? The answer is simple: You listen for the voice of Jesus! If you are on the right road you will hear Jesus talking as He walks in front of you. If you don't hear the sound of the voice of Jesus, it is time to stop until you do hear Him.
As a child I remember hearing my parents talking as I was going to sleep. I couldn't always hear what they said, but I always could recognize their voices. It brought great comfort and peace to a sleepy child.
Being near enough to Jesus to hear His voice is the same. The comfort comes not from hearing Him tell you what to do, but rather just hearing Him because you are so near that you can hear His voice! "Lord Jesus, let me hear Your voice today so that I will know that I am near You and walking behind You on the Road to Heaven! May Your Holy and Righteous Name be praised now and forever. Amen."
Click here to listen to blog Welcome all the Lord's followers, even those whose faith is weak. Don't criticize them for having beliefs that are different from yours. Some think it is all right to eat anything, while those whose faith is weak will eat only vegetables. But you should not criticize others for eating or for not eating. After all, God welcomes everyone. What right do you have to criticize someone else's servants? Only their Lord can decide if they are doing right, and the Lord will make sure that they do right. Romans 14:1-4 - CEV These verses may shock some followers of Jesus when they read them! They clearly say that some Christians will believe it is right to eat "anything" and some may believe that you must eat only vegetables! And almost amazingly neither side in this "culinary controversy" is encouraged to win the other side over to their opinion! The heart of the Gospel is not the rules of self-discipline you bind upon yourself, but rather the love of God poured out when Jesus shed His Blood on the Cross! As you walk the Road to Heaven you will find there are things that will hinder you on that journey. Those are the things that you decide you should not do. Then there are things that will make the trip to Heaven easier. Those things become habits and "must do" items for your daily list! Of course, it is good to encourage others in their walk with Jesus, but don't attempt to bind your opinion on others. They are accountable to God, not you and "the Lord will make sure they do right!" "Lord Jesus, help me today to do everything I know to do to stay close to You. And Lord may I avoid the things that pull me away from Your Holy presence. Praise Your Name, now and forever. Amen."
Water and blood came out from the side of Jesus Christ. It wasn't just water, but water and blood. The Spirit tells about this, because the Spirit is truthful. In fact, there are three who tell about it. They are the Spirit, the water, and the blood, and they all agree. 1 John 5:6-8 - CEV
All you need to live as a follower of Jesus Christ is clearly described in these three verses. You need the Blood of Jesus to cleanse you from your sins. You need the Life Giving Water that only comes from Him. And you must have the Holy Spirit who lives in you and guides your every step as you walk on this earth!
When the soldier stabbed the side of Jesus after He died on the Cross, water and blood came out! Jesus not only forgave your sins by the power of His Blood, but He also gave you the Life Giving Water that flows from the Throne in Heaven!
On the day that Jesus died He gave His "Sin Erasing Blood" and the Water that gives Life, but His followers had to wait until the Day of Pentecost for the Holy Spirit to come upon them and fill them! Then it was done, and the Life of Jesus spread in the hearts of forgiven men and woman ever since that Day!
Life, Forgiveness, and Guidance are all a part of the supply that comes from Jesus for your daily walk with Him! So when you think of Jesus and what He did on the Cross, don't forget the Water and the Blood that came from His side, and remember the Holy Spirit who wants to guide your every step!
"Lord Jesus, thank You for the Blood and Water that came from Your side and thank You for sending the Holy Spirit to lead us through this life! You, Lord Jesus have given us everything we need for all Eternity! Praise Your Holy and Righteous Name, now and forever, Amen!"
