Faith without works is dead

You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone. (James 2:24 HCSB)

   To quote the verse above is almost fighting words in 90% of American Christianity!! When you read the 2nd chapter of James in context it still says that works and faith are united. It really is hard to look at that chapter and not cringe to some degree, but it is in the Bible. Does this mean that if we do not go and "do" something we are not saved? Is it something we missed in Sunday School? The Word of God is clear on all things, there is no contradiction in there. So now what, do we rely on ourselves to save ourselves, or do we rely on the Holy Spirit to lead us to "do" good works?  For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead. (James 2:26 HCSB) Foolish man! Are you willing to learn that faith without works is useless? (James 2:20 HCSB) It just keeps looking like we need to have works in our life to be saved. Then you have this verse, that some people will quote to someone when witnessing. "For you are saved by grace through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God’s gift — not from works, so that no one can boast. (Ephesians 2:8, 9 HCSB) so which book is right James or Ephesians, James or Paul? Both are right!!

  James is right on with "faith without works is useless"(v2:20b), and Paul is right with "For you are saved by grace through faith"(v2:8a)!! Let me explain, you see when you are saved our Heavenly Father  created us for good works!! If you would keep reading Eph 2 all the way to the end you would see that Paul says the same thing as James! "For we are His creation, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared ahead of time so that we should walk in them. (Ephesians 2:10 HCSB) That is pretty cool uh! There are so many Christians that fight and tell each other they are wrong, that THEIR doctrine is right and YOURS is wrong. You see God is God and He knows what He was doing when the Bible was written. If you are saved there will be works in your life. If you say you "believe" and no works are in your life then you are no better then the demons!! Wow that was pretty harsh, well i did not say that the Word said that " But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without works, and I will show you faith from my works. You believe that God is one; you do well. The demons also believe — and they shudder." (James 2:18, 19 HCSB)

  American Christians (I am one) biggest problems is that they pull only the verses that fit THEIR doctrines and not what the whole counsel of God says. Our works in Christ matter to Him, if they did not then He would not have prepared them for us. What is a work, keeping our salvation?  NO !! It is doing God's business by living out our faith in front of this dying world! It is showing the love of Jesus in your life where love typically does not dwell, in middle of trials and tribulation! That is the works that Paul and James is speaking of, not keeping your salvation up! Jesus did that for us on the cross and only He can keep us in Him, by grace through faith! Our faith is the key to being in Him! Our works are for Him not for us please remember that!! I pray that each one of us can live out our faith in front of our families, friends and enemies! God Bless

Will Williams

At the Altar of Sexual Idolatry (Part 2) Freedom comes slowly

2Co 4:16    Therefore we do not give up. Even though our outer person is being destroyed, our inner person is being renewed day by day.
2Co 4:17    For our momentary light affliction is producing for us an absolutely incomparable eternal weight of glory.

Freedom- The state of not being imprisoned or enslaved
Habitual- done or doing constantly or as a habit

God can remove anything in your life at anytime, and deliver you from it. He can allow the healing to come slow as well. Healing from certain sin can be an on going process until you see Jesus in Heaven. Sexual sin is a sin that can cause deep wounds and deep scars. If someone is a homosexual, this will be something that they might battle with the rest of their life, or in some cases healed completely. When a person is addicted to pornography it can be a long process to recover. The Holy Spirit will do His job, but you must be obedient to Him. When we rebel against The Holy Spirit we are quenching(suppressing) Him.
Eph 4:30    And don't grieve God's Holy Spirit. You were sealed by Him for the day of redemption.
1Th 5:19    Don't quench the Spirit
The bible is clear on not suppressing The Holy Spirit, He is there for our protection! When God allows us to struggle to be free from a sin, we appreciate the freedom God has given us. And you know what sin you struggle with the most. When you are finally delivered from that sin it feels so good to have that burden lifted! We then start relying on The Lord more and giving everything to Him. We then have a brokenness about ourselves when we come to The Lord. Paul had something that he struggled with his whole life, and The Lord never fully delivered him from it. Paul understood why God did not deliver him, " 2Co 12:9    But He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness." Therefore, I will most gladly boast all the more about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may reside in me.
God's grace is sufficient and is needed, but this is how we grow in Christ "in weakness"! If we can beat something on our own, then why do we need God? So many people go to secular help and all it does is put a bandaid on it, it just covers up the stink for a short time. It does not cut it out at the root, it just takes care of the outward appearance of the problem. If you are a drug addict, you will always be a drug addict (a recovering drug addict). When Jesus heals you, you are a new creature old things have passed away!
2Co 5:17    Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away, and look, new things have come.
2Co 5:18    Everything is from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation:
2Co 5:19    That is, in Christ, God was reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed the message of reconciliation to us.
2Co 5:20    Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, certain that God is appealing through us. We plead on Christ's behalf, "Be reconciled to God."
2Co 5:21    He made the One who did not know sin to be sin for us, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
How awesome is that, all credit goes to Him not a program, that is why Christian "programs" are Christ centered not man centered.
God's timing is on His time not ours, we want to be healed right then! God has bigger plans in store then our healing, He uses our failures to bring glory to Himself! When people knew you as an addict, then see you fighting and pushing through this addiction (by The Holy Spirit) they will ask how? You then say it is the Power of Jesus Christ that is healing me! Wow what a testimony that is for our Savior! Paul said "fight the good fight" 1 Tim 6:12 "Waging WAR" 1Tim 1:18
We have a part in our battle, a war can not be won by the General only, he has to have his soldiers partake in the battles. The Holy Spirit can guide us and convict us of our sins, but we must obey His commands to not do what is tempting us. For most of us freedom comes slowly, climbing a mountain is a slow process! When you reach the top it is a victory that has no words to express it! We will have set backs and failures at times, but remember when we fall, true failure is when we stay down! Get up and grab Jesus's hand and continue your walk. The longer you stay down the more you want to go back to your habitual sin. You see when you fall and get right back up you will have a hatred for your sin. You will be sensitive to The Holy Spirit when that happens. Being vocal and being accountable to someone is a necessity, the Word of God says to confess our sins to one another for a reason. Jas 5:16    Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. The urgent request of a righteous person is very powerful in its effect.
So if you are struggling with a pet sin or habitual sin find someone that is grounded in the Word of God and allow them to be part of your life. Find a good bible believing church to be part of your life. I pray for anyone who is struggling with any habitual sin to be delivered today or start healing today! I pray this in Jesus's Name! God bless

At the Altar of Sexual Idolatry (PART 1)

You do not want a sacrifice, or I would give it; You are not pleased with a burnt offering. The sacrifice pleasing to God is a broken spirit. God, You will not despise a broken and humbled heart. (Psalms 51:16, 17 HCSB)

Let me start by saying that every man and a lot of women battle with sexual idolatry. Sex is involved in every aspect of our lives. Sex demands our family to worship it daily. In today's world electronic devices has a hold of us (I am writing a blog on one). It can be used for good or bad, and satan knows this. He will put everything in our path to tempt us with sex. You see the idea of sex was God's idea, it was supposed to be for two things. The first was to fill the earth, "Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness. They will rule the fish of the sea, the birds of the sky, the livestock, all the earth, and the creatures that crawl on the earth.” So God created man in His own image; He created him in the image of God; He created them male and female. God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth, and subdue it. Rule the fish of the sea, the birds of the sky, and every creature that crawls on the earth.” (Genesis 1:26-28 HCSB) The second was to enjoy each other as one flesh,"So the Lord God caused a deep sleep to come over the man, and he slept. God took one of his ribs and closed the flesh at that place. Then the Lord God made the rib He had taken from the man into a woman and brought her to the man. And the man said: This one, at last, is bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh; this one will be called “woman,” for she was taken from man. This is why a man leaves his father and mother and bonds with his wife, and they become one flesh. Both the man and his wife were naked, yet felt no shame. (Genesis 2:21-25 HCSB)
No shame, this was before the fall of man, (see Gen 3) sex was beautiful and pure. Now after the fall, sex is seen as something dirty and shameful "Taboo." Man has made it this way with satan's mark all over it. The coming together as one flesh is no longer, it is now one self. We make it a selfish desire instead of a selfless desire. Man has made sex a "golden calf" and we are worshiping it at the "Altar of Sex." You can really see a beautiful marriage when a husband and wife truly come together as "One Flesh."
When a man or woman is addicted to porn it changes how they see sex. To them it is recreational
(a sport), it changes their whole attitude on what a healthy relationship is. When guys look at porn they see smoke and mirrors. It is not real, the girls are not real, the set up is not real. This way of looking at sex does serious damage to the man's view of woman. So, what does this do when he goes and tries to find him a woman? Does he look for a pure relationship or is he looking for a porn star? Sex is his main focus nothing else! Look at every night club and bar!! The girls in this generation has been molded to what is expected of them. It is not motherhood or being a good wife, it is being someones sex partner. Look at what is being sold to girls at 10 years old and older, the sexier the clothes the better. Christians please look at your view of sex, it can be so good with your wife or husband. It can also be infected by this world's view of sex.
This is Part 1 of "At the Altar of Sexual Idolatry", I will discuss the effects of being addicted to porn, and what it does to the male's mind. I am recommending a awesome book " At the Altar of Sexual Idolatry" by Steve Gallagher. If you are struggling with a sexual addiction please go to his site at Purelifeministries.org. He has tons of materials and ministries that can help you.
The Word of God is primary and we need to spend our time and efforts in His Word to know what He wants from us. We need to be broken over our sins and that is when He can start putting us back together. "You do not want a sacrifice, or I would give it; You are not pleased with a burnt offering. The sacrifice pleasing to God is a broken spirit. God, You will not despise a broken and humbled heart. (Psalms 51:16, 17 HCSB)" He wants us to come to Him when we fail, His arms are open and ready to receive us back. There is no sin to big that He can not forgive, but you have to want to give it up! His forgiveness is so awesome and that grace is even more amazing. We must deny ourselves Jesus said "Mat 16:24    Then Jesus told his disciples, "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.
He will forgive you as He has forgiven me of my sins. NO SIN IS TO BIG FOR JESUS TO FORGIVE!!
Part 2 is called " Freedom comes slowly"
God Bless

Are you a Atheist at heart?

Atheist: Someone who does not believe in the existence of God.
Christian: Someone who is (born again)a disciple/follower of Jesus Christ in the Judeo-Christian faith.
Worldview: A particular philosophy of life or conception of the world.

1Jn 5:4    For everything that has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that overcomes the world, our faith.

If I ask you "do you live a Biblical Worldview" what would you say? As Christians we want to please God, Right? What we do on Sundays vs. Monday-Saturday is what matters to God. Any body can clean up on Sunday morning. Our view on how we live is important to The Lord, our Worldview is important! Everyone has a worldview, it is how the world penetrates your life. If you spend more time conforming to what Hollywood wants or do you spend your time on what God wants from you? What is happening is Hollywood is being put on top of God in the church. So we are mixing Baal worship with the worship of God.
Do you live like a Atheist during the week and worship God on Sundays? If your worldview is like what I explained in the prior paragraph then yes you live like an Atheist during the week. Is God at work with you? Is God at the gym with you? Is God at the "sports bars" with you when you have lunch with the "Guys"? Is He with you when you are in cyber world ladies? To answer these questions "YES" He is! He sees all things " Heb 4:13    And no creature is hidden from His sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.
I had a guy at work wearing a hat that said "Jesus Saves" and he was telling a dirty joke. When I walked up he pretty much avoided me. You see when it is just us he talks about Jesus, but when he is around other people anything goes. This man says he has been saved for years, I asked him would you tell that joke at church? He said well NO I would not. I asked why not? He said that is a place for God! I told him God is everywhere and all knowing and all powerful. He sees everything you are doing, and if you call yourself a follower of Christ your actions should be of that! He said God understands me, we are good. This man's worldview is that action of telling the dirty joke. We all sin and we all fall, but our repentance and brokenness of our action will be there if we truly follow Christ. Why, you ask? Because you know He is there and The Holy Spirit is convicting you! We are His spokesman(ambassador) " 2Co 5:17    Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.
2Co 5:18    All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation;
2Co 5:19    that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.
2Co 5:20    Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.
2Co 5:21    For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
This is what God expects from us, when we conform to this, our worldview will be pleasing to Him. Our faith will be seen at work,on FaceBook,at the gym,at the mall,at the family reunion, and saying no to the guys wanting to go to the sports bars(Hooters etc.) If you are not living your faith out, your worldview will be known. When the body starts acting like Jesus Christ is Lord of lords and King of kings, our faith will be more then going to church! We will be the waiting Bride of the Bridegroom, not a adulterous bride hoping the Bridegroom does not find out who we are!
God Bless

Are you Ready?

Rom 8:35    Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?

Martyr- means Witness

American pastor Saeed Abedini is a evangelical pastor that is being held in a Iran prison. He is serving an 8 year sentence, in reality it is a death sentence. Evin prison is noted for its political prisoners where prisoners have been held both before and after the 1979 Iranian Revolution. If you are a Christian or anything other then Muslim and serving a sentence in Evin you will be tortured.
The reason why pastor Saeed is in Evin prison is because he will not recant Jesus Christ and convert to Islam. Our government is doing nothing to help pastor Saeed to come home. There are a number of Christian agencies pushing to get our Brother out. American Center for Law and Justice is one of those agencies that is doing this.
What pastor Saeed is going through is NOT the first time this has happened, it is not an isolated event. Many Brothers and Sisters in Christ have died for His name sake! You see pastor Saeed could just say ok and recant, but he can not do that. The Holy Spirit in him is giving him power to overcome the pain and sadness he is feeling! This is the same Holy Spirit that was in Jesus Christ, when He was going through the torture of the cross and of the Father! Jesus Christ was obedient to death," Php 2:8    And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross." Pastor Saeed is being obedient to his Savior through the Holy Spirit! It is his choice to be obedient to Jesus. The Holy Spirit is convicting and providing the strength, but the pastor is submitting to the Holy Spirit.
We will at some point face persecution and my question is "are you ready?" As Christians that live in a country that the worst thing that can happen (so far) is ridicule and verbal attack. Are you being obedient to the Holy Spirit?
Richard Wurmbrand was a pastor that was captured during WWI in 1944 by the Russians that invaded Romania. They put him in prison for being a Christian and not wavering from his love for Jesus! Pastor Wurmbrand was obedient to the Holy Spirit! He wrote a book called "Tortured for Christ", and in one part of the book he explains one of the many tortures they(Christians with him) went through.
" A pastor by the name of Florescu was tortured with red-hot iron pokers and with knives. He was beaten very badly. Then starving rats were driven into his cell through a large pipe. He could not sleep because he had to defend himself all the time. If he rested a moment, the rats would attack him.
He was forced to stand for two weeks, day and night. The Communists wished to compel him to betray his brethren, but he resisted steadfastly. Eventually, they brought his fourteen-year-old son to the prison and began to whip the boy in front of his father, saying that they would continue to beat him until the pastor said what they wished him to say. The poor man was half mad. He bore it as long as he could, then he cried to his son, “Alexander, I must say what they want! I can’t bear your beating anymore!” The son answered, “Father, don’t do me the injustice of having a traitor as a parent. Withstand! If they kill me, I will die with the words, ‘Jesus and my fatherland.’” The Communists, enraged, fell upon the child and beat him to death, with blood spattered over the walls of the cell. He died praising God. Our dear brother Florescu was never the same after seeing this." "Tortured for Christ, Chapter 2"
Stephen was the first Martyr of the New Testament, he was obedient to the Holy Spirit to stand up for the love of his Savior! Stephen was bold and courageous to stand and proclaim to the Pharisees the Truth! They wanted Stephen to recant Jesus as Lord and Savior, but Stephen did not, look at what he did..... " Act 7:51    "You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit. As your fathers did, so do you.
Act 7:52    Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? And they killed those who announced beforehand the coming of the Righteous One, whom you have now betrayed and murdered,
Act 7:53    you who received the law as delivered by angels and did not keep it."
Act 7:54    Now when they heard these things they were enraged, and they ground their teeth at him.
Act 7:55    But he, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God.
Act 7:56    And he said, "Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God."
Act 7:57    But they cried out with a loud voice and stopped their ears and rushed together at him.
Act 7:58    Then they cast him out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul.
Act 7:59    And as they were stoning Stephen, he called out, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit."
Act 7:60    And falling to his knees he cried out with a loud voice, "Lord, do not hold this sin against them." And when he had said this, he fell asleep.
So my question is still " are you ready" to stand and proclaim that Jesus is Lord and Savior no matter what? Are you walking in "The Way", during these relaxed times in America? We will be persecuted and the wheat and tares will be separated. Persecution will bring forth the ones who will not waver at any cost! Make this your prayer today, Father God please allow me to stand for your Son Jesus Christ through the Holy Spirit! Let me glorify you today and not waver at any cost! I pray for true obedience like these men and women of old that stood on the Rock and not wavered! I pray that I can stand firm like Pastor Saeed, I pray for his wellness, but I pray more for me to have his faith! I love you and want to serve you at any cost, I pray this in Jesus name
Amen

Abide in Him!

Joh 15:4    Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me.

Abide - Stay; wait for; continue to exist; keep on

To Repent- repentance consists of (1) a true sense of one's own guilt and sinfulness; (2) an apprehension of God's mercy in Christ; (3) an actual hatred of sin (Psa 119:128; Job 42:5, Job 42:6; 2Co 7:10) and turning from it to God; and (4) a persistent Endeavor after a holy life in a walking with God in the way of his commandments.

When we study scripture we ask ourselves Who,What,When,Why and How. The scripture that we are looking at, Jesus is speaking to His disciples. We know this because of the prior chapters, and nothing has changed in context.
Many Christians today have been taught and choose to follow the doctrine that has you living any way you want (Hyper Grace). When a person has no accountability and the catch phrase for them is " Grace covers it" or " it is covered by the blood" there is a big problem. The Word of God is clear man has a responsibility on what he does with the grace of God! Psa 91:1    He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.
We do not save ourselves, but we do have an active part when we step out in faith to believe. Jesus paid it all, Eph 2:8    For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, Eph 2:9    not a result of works, so that no one may boast.
When you get saved our faith is active, Jesus says "Joh 15:4    Abide in me, and I in you." When we start thinking that i can live anyway i want willful sin is creeping at our door! We are meant to work for the Kingdom of God, not to just live in the old man of this world. He (the old man) died,
2Co 5:17    Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.
2Co 5:18    All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation;
2Co 5:19    that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.
2Co 5:20    Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.
When that old man has died, now what? If a Christian is not growing or still living in the willful sin he/she has been saved from, something is wrong! It is easy to say 'oh my sins are forgiven I am good to go" true repentance is not there! That is not what Jesus died for, He died to give you freedom in Him to not live in that willful sin! There are warnings all over the OT and NT about living in willful sin. Heb 10:26    For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, The Holy Spirit is the last of the Godhead that will come to our rescue! Jesus sent Him to abide in us so we can have freedom to come to the thrown of God, not to live in sin!!
Heb 4:14    Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession.
Heb 4:15    For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.
Heb 4:16    Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
Hyper Grace is very active in todays Church, but it was also active in the first century Church. Paul addressed the Christians in Rome about this....Rom 6:1    What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound?
Rom 6:2    By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it?
Sin will be in our lives as Christians, we will never be sinless, but we can be active in our faith that we love Jesus more then our sins! It is very dangerous to sit back and do nothing in regards to not abiding in Him who saved us! You do not pick up your cross one time and think you are a Christian, it is a daily walk. Luk 9:23    And he said to all, "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.
Mat 10:38    And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me.
To follow Him you must abide in Him, the scripture is clear on this. True Repentance is needed in the Church not this politically correct garbage we have in the Church today. Teaching from the pulpit to actively abide and repent of your sins is so needed! There will be persecution when this happens, remember Jesus said " Mar 13:13    And you will be hated by all for my name's sake. But the one who endures to the end will be saved."
Lets live our faith out and stand on the roof tops and proclaim His name! God Bless

War!!!!

16 So Joshua conquered the entire region—the hill country, the entire Negev, the whole area around the town of Goshen, the western foothills, the Jordan Valley,* the mountains of Israel, and the Galilean foothills. 17 The Israelite territory now extended all the way from Mount Halak, which leads up to Seir in the south, as far north as Baal-gad at the foot of Mount Hermon in the valley of Lebanon. Joshua killed all the kings of those territories, 18 waging WAR for a long time to accomplish this. Joshua 11:16-18
When I was in the service the first thing I had to understand, I did not belong to me anymore. I belonged to the United States Air Force! If they told me to jump I asked "How high?", if they told me to stand here I asked "How long?". Joshua was a military commander, he led a army. When he was told to do something he did it without question. Now he may have had emotions about it (fear,doubt),but God always reinsured him that He would lead them to victory! The Lord is the one who gave Joshua his orders!" Then the Lord said to Joshua, “Do not be afraid of them. By this time tomorrow I will hand all of them over to Israel as dead men. Then you must cripple their horses and burn their chariots.” Joshua 11:6
You see many people, unbelievers and some Christians, feel God was unfair to these kingdoms for destroying everyone in them. They say "these people are innocent!!", "why would a loving God do that?" 'The God of the Old Testament is not the same God of the New Testament." The answer is yes, the OT God is the same God of the NT,"6 “I am the Lord, and I do not change. That is why your descendants of Jacob are not already destroyed." Malachi 3:6
Lets look at how innocent these kingdoms really were. The worship of Baal was all through the Phoenician and Canaanite Lands. Baal was a fertility god that the people sacrificed their babies to. God made a judgement on these lands, and He was just to do so. You see it is a type and shadow of a judgment that God will give on the second coming of Christ! These lands new of the God of Abraham and they rejected Him! " After Abram returned from his victory over Kedorlaomer and all his allies, the king of Sodom went out to meet him in the valley of Shaveh (that is, the King’s Valley). 18 And Melchizedek, the king of Salem and a priest of God Most High,* brought Abram some bread and wine. 19 Melchizedek blessed Abram with this blessing: “Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth. 20 And blessed be God Most High, who has defeated your enemies for you.” Gen 14:17-20 "16 After four generations your descendants will return here to this land, for the sins of the Amorites do not yet warrant their destruction.” Gen 15:16
The issue is that if they did not know of Him, they were still responsible for their sins regardless! "For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard" Rom 3:23 But not everyone in those kingdoms died, and example is Rehab the harlot(Josh 6:17) was spared with her family. God is Just but he is also Merciful and full of Grace! It is a glimpse of the Gospel, He gives us a chance to make that choice to follow or not to follow Him. The outcome is either death or life. There is a great Commander coming one day riding a white horse leading an army. He is coming to judge all who has not received Him as Lord and Savior!" 11 Then I saw heaven opened, and a white horse was standing there. Its rider was named Faithful and True, for he judges fairly and wages a righteous war. 12 His eyes were like flames of fire, and on his head were many crowns. A name was written on him that no one understood except himself. 13 He wore a robe dipped in blood, and his title was the Word of God. 14 The armies of heaven, dressed in the finest of pure white linen, followed him on white horses. 15 From his mouth came a sharp sword to strike down the nations. He will rule them with an iron rod. He will release the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty, like juice flowing from a winepress. 16 On his robe at his thigh* was written this title: King of all kings and Lord of all lords" Rev 19:11-16
So to all the people that think the God of the Old Testament is not the God of the New Testament well please think again! Today is the day of Salvation(2 Cor 6:2) call out to Him and repent of your sins! He will receive you with open arms. God Bless

Worship in Middle of a Tragedy

I will sing to the Lord because he is good to me.
Psalm 13;6

To read this verse by itself, it seems that the writer (David) has no problems. If we go back and read the entire Psalm then you will see that David is stressed out! He is going through major struggles and worried that God has not heard his cries. "O Lord, how long will you forget me Forever? How long will you look the other way? 2 How long must I struggle with anguish in my soul, with sorrow in my heart every day? How long will my enemy have the upper hand?" Psalm 13:1-2
David has seen God work in his life many times. David was a man after God's own heart! "But God removed Saul and replaced him with David, a man about whom God said, ‘I have found David son of Jesse, a man after my own heart. He will do everything I want him to do.’" Acts 13;22
So why is David not trusting in God and that he feels abandoned? Our trials we have can make us forget about what God has already done in our life. Israel was notorious for this through the Old Testament! What God wants us to do is worship! You say worship " how can i worship during trials in my life?" Lets look at Job, everything was taken from him, money, investments, his health, and his own children! God allowed this because he knew that Job was going to bring worship and give all glory back to Him."While he was still speaking, another messenger arrived with this news: “Your sons and daughters were feasting in their oldest brother’s home. 19 Suddenly, a powerful wind swept in from the wilderness and hit the house on all sides. The house collapsed, and all your children are dead. I am the only one who escaped to tell you.”
20 Job stood up and tore his robe in grief. Then he shaved his head and fell to the ground to worship. 21 He said, “I came naked from my mother’s womb, and I will be naked when I leave.
The Lord gave me what I had, and the Lord has taken it away. Praise the name of the Lord!”
22 In all of this, Job did not sin by blaming God. Job 1:18-22
Job brought worship to God in middle of a tragedy! When tragedy hits we forget what God has done for us. But this is the time when all glory and praise needs to go to Him! Our verse "I will sing to the Lord because he is good to me. Psalm 13:6 David brought his praise to God during a trial and gave Him glory! Even though he had doubt and even questioned God, David remembered his God does not forsake or leave him. That is the same God you serve, The Father is there for you through Jesus Christ! Remember what He has done for you and give Him praise and honor and glory back to Him. True worship comes in the middle of storms, and He will rain down His love upon you. God Bless you.......Today set a time to worship Him and give back to Him the Glory He deserves!

Forgiving Others

For judgment is without mercy to the one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment. James 2:13

When someone has done something to you in a way that hurts to the core, how can you forgive them? The major issue is that, have they asked for forgiveness? Does this matter? Well, our flesh says "yes it matters look at what they did!!!" Our flesh is wanting revenge and The Holy Spirit is bearing witness to Jesus! The Holy Spirit is telling us "did Jesus forgive us before or after we killed Him?" DId He offer Salvation to us when we cleaned our self up first or while we were yet sinners? The scripture says "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:8
Have we as Christians asked our self "why did you love me God?" "Why am I still here and alive?"It is because He loved us from the beginning! He did not want us to sin against Him, but we did! He forgives us, but by choice we must ask for forgiveness to receive His Grace. It is the greatest gift we could ever receive.
The question is still out there " can we forgive someone for hurting us if they are not truly sorry(true repentance)?" Jesus Christ wants us to forgive them, For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. Matthew 6:15
As a child of God, we must forgive them. If they have not asked for forgiveness we still must forgive. That act of mercy will triumph over judgment(James 2:13b). That person now has a choice to make, receive that mercy and break or reject our forgiveness and he will harden himself. When we forgive, even if they do not ask for it, it shows Jesus Christ! Then the other person can see HIm! It all points to Him not us, remember our flesh wants revenge! We give God all glory and honor in EVERYTHING. The scripture says Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; 5 does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, 3thinks no evil; 6 does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; 7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
8 Love never fails 1 Cor 13:4-8a
Hear me i am not saying that what ever that person has done there want be consequences. " Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. 8 For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life." Galatians 6:7-8
God will have His day ,and He is the Judge! That is why we must forgive and do what is right in every way. If that love is to stop that person from hurting others and confront that, yes that is what we do. .............God bless you
Thank you Pastor Chad for staying true to your calling!!

Hypocrites!!

The title screams what todays message is about being a hypocrite. Hypocrite means "one who puts on a mask and feigns himself to be what he is not." Hypocrisy is killing the "church" in every way, it is the very thing that hardens hearts in unbelievers. Our sin nature wants the Truth to be a lie, and when they see "Christians" acting just like them and yet claiming Jesus it hardens hearts. The world acts like the world, but Christians are called to a higher cause " Serving Jesus Christ"! You see Jesus said a few things about hypocrites, Then Jesus said to the crowds
5 “Everything they do is for show. On their arms they wear extra wide prayer boxes with Scripture verses inside, and they wear robes with extra long tassels.* 6 And they love to sit at the head table at banquets and in the seats of honor in the synagogues. 7 They love to receive respectful greetings as they walk in the marketplaces, and to be called ‘Rabbi.’*
8 “Don’t let anyone call you ‘Rabbi,’ for you have only one teacher, and all of you are equal as brothers and sisters.* 9 And don’t address anyone here on earth as ‘Father,’ for only God in heaven is your spiritual Father. 10 And don’t let anyone call you ‘Teacher,’ for you have only one teacher, the Messiah. 11 The greatest among you must be a servant. 12 But those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.
13 “What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you shut the door of the Kingdom of Heaven in people’s faces. You won’t go in yourselves, and you don’t let others enter either.*
15 “What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you cross land and sea to make one convert, and then you turn that person into twice the child of hell* you yourselves are! Matthew 23:5-15
George Barna said....... The spirituality of Americans is Christian in name only. We desire experience rather than truths. We seek comfort rather then growth. Faith must come on our terms or we reject it! We have enthroned ourselves as the final arbiters of righteousness, the ultimate rulers of our own experience and destiny. We Are the Pharisees of the New Millennium!!
Wow harsh words, but very needed for the Church today! That is just a quote from a man, but the scripture before it is from the Man, The Son of God, Jesus Christ! Either you believe Him or reject His teachings, either way His Truth stands firm. We(Christians) must live our faith out in full view in the world, and the dangers of us not doing this are to many to name. Pleasing man does not win them to Jesus, being yoked to them only brings everyone far away from The Truth. I can say I believe in Jesus, but my actions are what is being viewed. James speaks of this ...But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; 24 for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. James 1:23-24
When the door shuts behind you, and what you do in private behind those doors, emphatically shows who you are or not who you are! I truly hope and pray that the Church will wake up to this horrible disease called Hypocrisy. God Bless
*Tomorrow I am going to talk about the power of forgiveness through Jesus Christ!

Did God love Ishmael?

There have been many who have linked Ishmael and Islam. It is true he was the father of the Arabians, and from the Arabians Islam was birthed. When you read scripture you must read everything it says, not what you want it to say. Genesis 21: 8-21 speaks about the departure of Hagar and Ishmael. Hagar and Ishmael was an example of man (Abram and Sarai) doing things on his own and not obeying God's commands. Ishmael was not the promised child, but he was a child in God's image. Abraham and Sarah disobeyed God and Hagar was caught in the middle of their sin. So God heard her cries and Ishmael rejection ... Then she went and sat down across from him at a distance of about a bowshot; for she said to herself," Let me not see the death of the boy" So she sat opposite him, and lifted her voice and wept" and God heard the voice of the lad. Then the angel of God called to Hagar out of heaven, and said to her, " What ails you, Hagar? Fear not , for God has heard the voice of the lad where he is. "Arise, lift up the lad and hold him with your hand, I (God) will make him a great nation" Then God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water. And she went and filled the skin with water and gave the lad a drink. So God was with the lad; and he grew and dwelt in the wilderness, and became an archer Genesis 21:16-20 Lets remember not just Muslims came from Ishmael, but also many Christians are from Arabian descent. Isaac was the progenitor of all Jewish people, including Jewish atheist and Jewish Christians. There are many Muslims that are non-Arabians ( obviously--since there are Jewish Muslims, English Muslims and tons of African Muslims). It is well known fact the deaths of many people from Islam because of the misreading of scripture and perverting it to fit their agenda. Man takes what God gives him and destroys it. Adam and Eve was given freedom to have complete fellowship with The Lord and they disobeyed Him. What man did by choice brought death, and brought sin to the world and separation from the living God. The first Adam could not bring life, only through the 2nd Adam (Jesus Christ) life was given by the complete obedience of Him shedding His blood! Please pray for the Muslims that they come to Jesus Christ with a surrendering spirit and turn from their sins. We as Christians are called to love all people, we must love them enough to give the Good News... The Gospel of Jesus Christ! If we judge people, we will never get close enough to share the Gospel. I challenge you to go outside your comfort zone and reach the lost no matter their background. God Bless