Sovereign in My Heart!

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The [Lord] is going to take away your job!

He will give your official robes and your authority to his servant Eliakim son of Hilkiah.
Eliakim will be like a father to the people of Jerusalem and to the royal family of Judah.   The [Lord] will put him in charge of the key that belongs to King David's family. No one will be able to unlock what he locks, and no one will be able to lock what he unlocks.

The [Lord] will make him as firm in his position as a tent peg hammered in the ground, and Eliakim will bring honor to his family.

His children and relatives will be supported by him, like pans hanging from a peg on the wall.  That peg is fastened firmly now, but someday it will be shaken loose and fall down. Then everything that was hanging on it will be destroyed. This is what the [Lord] All-Powerful has promised.

Isaiah 22:19-25

There is no Biblical justification to support the idea that God does not touch the hand of history and move events to suit His will. Story after story in Scripture show how God Himself was the ultimate force behind the events.

We also have free will, but God freely enters in to the mix of what is happening today as He orchestrates the outcome according to His choice! The Sovereignty of God and the free will of man are two pieces of the same puzzle. Romans 8:28 gives a hint at how that works.

We would rather analyze and even debate about the Sovereignty of God in the world than open the door and let God be the Sovereign of our hearts. When Jesus becomes the Lord of your life, you are inviting Him to exercise Sovereignty over everything in it.

Jesus rejected His will for the will of God as he struggled in the garden on the night before He was crucified. That is my best example of how to make Him the Lord in my life. I come before Him and let Him know what I want, but then I yield my will to His and submit myself to the Cross that I must bear. That will finally bring the greatest joy!

"Lord, give me the strength to embrace the path You have decided that I should travel. Let me see Your hand moving on my heart as I take the steps for today's walk with You! Amen!"

I Can Only Imagine!

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I saw a new heaven and a new earth. The first heaven and the first earth had disappeared, and so had the sea.

Then I saw New Jerusalem, the holy city, coming down from God in heaven. It was like a bride dressed in her wedding gown and ready to meet her husband.

I heard a loud voice shout from the throne:
God's home is now with his people. He will live with them, and they will be his own. Yes, God will make his home among his people.

He will wipe all tears from their eyes, and there will be no more death, suffering, crying, or pain. These things of the past are gone forever.

Then the one sitting on the throne said:
I am making everything new. Write down what I have said. My words are true and can be trusted.

Revelation 21:1-5

It is always comforting to read the list of the things that will not be in Heaven. Listen to it again. There will be no more death, suffering, crying or pain. Imagine life without any of these. It brings me a sigh of relief just to think about it. Thank God that day will come when these will no longer plague our lives!

They will go, but what will remain? There are things that we experience here that we will also experience there because the Bible does not say that they will be taken away. Certainly the fruit of the Spirit will be there. There will be love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness and faithfulness in Heaven.

When I was a child I got the impression that the only activity in Heaven would be praising God. I imagined that we would stand around and sing forever. Now I really like to sing, but isn't there more than that in Heaven? I believe that the Spirit's fruit must be there and that there will be opportunities in our lives there to experience love, feel joy, be at peace, exercise patience, see goodness and recognize faithfulness. Would I be foolish to suggest that life in Heaven will be even more intricate than the mosaic of life we live here?

If you were to be awarded with a vacation trip to a beautiful south seas island, as you waited to go you would do everything you could do to imagine what it will be like when you get there.

"Lord, I want to go to Heaven and live with Jesus forever. And I want not only to think about the things that will not be there, but to ponder the things that will. Help me to hold in my heart the glory of that day when I arrive in Your presence and begin the life I can now only imagine! Amen."

Free to be a Slave!

 

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I looked and saw heaven was open, and a white horse was there. Its rider was called Faithful and True, and he is always fair when he judges or goes to war.

He had eyes like flames of fire, and he was wearing a lot of crowns. His name was written on him, but he was the only one who knew what the name meant.

The rider wore a robe that was covered with blood, and he was known as “The Word of God.”  He was followed by armies from heaven that rode on white horses and were dressed in pure white linen.  From his mouth a sharp sword went out to attack the nations. He will rule them with an iron rod and will show the fierce anger of God All-Powerful by trampling the grapes in the pit where wine is made.

On the part of the robe that covered his thigh was written, “KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.”

I then saw an angel standing on the sun, and he shouted to all the birds flying in the sky, “Come and join in God's great feast!

You can eat the flesh of kings, rulers, leaders, horses, riders, free people, slaves, important people, and everyone else.”

Revelation 19:11-18

When it comes to the judgment of God is does not matter who you are or whether or not you are a slave or free.

We have put freedom on a pole and lifted it high as a goal for all men. And of course it is wonderful to be free to live and have the ability to choose the course of your life. It is the rare individual who would choose slavery over freedom. Wars have been fought to free slaves from their captivity.

But if you want to be a follower of Jesus the only way to do that is to give up your freedom to live as you choose and become the slave of Jesus. It is the part of the Gospel that lovers of freedom find most offensive. Doesn't Jesus want me to be happy? Doesn't Jesus want me to be free? Of course Jesus wants you to be happy and to be free from the slavery of sin and it's consequence of death. But the only way you can be happy and free from sin is to be the slave of Jesus.

When you are Christ's slave your arms move where His would move, your thoughts go where His go, your words are the Words of Christ, and His love flows through you to everyone you meet. As a slave of Jesus you are free to be the Hand of God on this earth. It is a freedom far beyond any other and a slavery filled with eternal joy and peace!

"Lord, I have lived too long seeking freedom outside of Jesus. Let me have the freedom of being Your slave forever. Amen."

Consider Yourself Warned!

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Ezekiel, son of man, warn your people by saying:
Someday, I, the [Lord], may send an enemy to invade a country. And suppose its people choose someone to stand watch  and to sound a warning signal when the enemy is seen coming.

If any of these people hear the signal and ignore it, they will be killed in battle. But it will be their own fault, because they could have escaped if they had paid attention.

But suppose the person watching fails to sound the warning signal. The enemy will attack and kill some of the sinful people in that country, and I, the [Lord], will hold that person responsible for their death.

Ezekiel, I have appointed you to stand watch for the people of Israel. So listen to what I say, then warn them for me. When I tell wicked people they will die because of their sins, you must warn them to turn from their sinful ways. But if you refuse to warn them, you are responsible for their death.

Ezekiel 33:2-8

My mother would warn me in the winter that if I didn't wear a coat when I went outside I might "catch my death of a cold." It was an "old wives tale" that was not based on scientific evidence. There is no known link between being cold and getting a cold. Colds are caused by viruses not by the weather.

Throughout history God has warned men and women that death is caused by sin. In fact, death is the ultimate consequence of sin. But in our Satan inspired arrogance we have decided that the link between sin and death is just another "old wives tale." We legislate to make sin a legal thing to do. We spend vast amounts of money on scientific research to find a cure for illnesses that result from sin.

The final impact of sin on your life will not be felt here on earth, no matter how sinful you have been here. And even if men develop the perfect vaccine against the consequences of sin in the here and now, it will not work in eternity.

There is only one way to avoid the death that comes from sin. That way is the Way of Jesus on the Cross. Jesus paid the price for all of your sins when He suffered and died.

If you understand what Jesus did for you, consider yourself warned!

Gospel in Eight Words!

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The Word that gives life was from the beginning, and this is the one our message is about. Our ears have heard, our eyes have seen, and our hands have touched this Word.


The one who gives life appeared! We saw it happen, and we are witnesses to what we have seen. Now we are telling you about this eternal life that was with the Father and appeared to us. We are telling you what we have seen and heard, so you may share in this life with us. And we share in it with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ.


1 John 1:1-3

If you have seen some of the old American western movies you know that a man's picture might appear on a wanted poster. Sometimes it would say "Wanted: Dead or Alive." Those are the two states of a human being. He is either dead or he is alive. There is nothing in between.

The normal state of man is to be born alive and then live until you die. You begin alive and end up dead. That's the way your physical body goes through this life.

But spiritually it is quite different, in fact it is just the opposite. Spiritually, we begin this life as dead men. The life that we should have had was surrendered by Adam and Eve when they disobeyed the direct command of God and sin brought death.

But Jesus came to earth to bring back the life that was lost that day in the Garden of Eden. Jesus waged a war on death and won! When Jesus died on the Cross death itself was defeated and mankind was no longer doomed to die without hope.

Jesus delivered to every man, woman and child the incredible choice of rejecting sin and death and choosing Life in Him. And most amazing of all He also gave men the power to be successful in that choice through the indwelling Holy Spirit.

The simple story is this: your picture is on God's wanted poster. Only this poster says: "Wanted Dead and I Will Make You Alive!"

That is the Gospel in eight words!

Identity Theft in Heaven!

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Light shows up everything,  just as the Scriptures say,
“Wake up from your sleep
and rise from death.
Then Christ will shine on you.”

Act like people with good sense and not like fools. These are evil times, so make every minute count. Don't be stupid. Instead, find out what the Lord wants you to do. Don't destroy yourself by getting drunk, but let the Spirit fill your life. When you meet together, sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, as you praise the Lord with all your heart.

Always use the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to thank God the Father for everything.

Ephesians 5:14-20

When you pray do you pray in Jesus Name? It seems like nothing but a formula tacked on at the end of a prayer. But those three words are totally awesome in their importance.

In most cultures when a woman marries a man she takes his name for her own. As she becomes one with him, his name is hers to use for the rest of her life. I think it is still true in the United States that a woman cannot be required to testify against her husband in a court of law.

In the same way a woman can use her husband's name, a follower of Jesus can use His name in coming to God in prayer! No one can grasp the depth of that ocean. When a Christian asks God for something it is the same as if Christ Himself were making the request. That truth puts your prayers at the top of God's most important things to do.

It is called identity theft if you use someone's name without their permission, and it is a crime. If you approach the throne of God in the name of Jesus and have no right to do so, it is likewise a very serious matter.

First, you must accept Jesus on His terms and let the Bible itself establish the fact that you have the right to use the name of Jesus when you come to God!

God is not fooled, there are no identity thieves in Heaven!

You are a Miracle!

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I want you to know all about Christ's love, although it is too wonderful to be measured. Then your lives will be filled with all that God is.
I pray that Christ Jesus and the church will forever bring praise to God. His power at work in us can do far more than we dare ask or imagine. Amen.
Ephesians 3:19-21
When it comes to the love of Christ there is a depth of knowledge and understanding that is beyond our human ability. Christ's love cannot be measured. There is nothing big enough to use as a standard for the measurement. In fact the Love of Jesus is the standard for all love. The sacrifice of Jesus was not a one time event on the Cross. Jesus left Heaven and lived among us, died for and will forever dwell with His people.
There are ways here on this earth to learn more about the Love of Jesus. Adopting a child is one very good way to experience something of the Love of Christ. An adopted child does not deserve and did not earn his or her place in your family. The child comes totally based on your love extended beyond the boundaries of natural family.
And then the miracle occurs as that child takes on the characteristics of his parents and becomes a permanent part of the family.
You see every Christian is a miracle. It is the power of God at work in you that changes you into the image of Jesus. That change can happen no other way. Only the power of the Holy Spirit can transform you from the wretch that you are into the likeness of the Redeemer who loves you!
Praise His Name today!