“If we confess
our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us
from all unrighteousness.”
Why is it so
difficult for us to understand the doctrine of repentance? How much sweeter
would our relationship with our Heavenly Father be if we would confess of our
sins before Him and seek true repentance?
Praise ye the
Lord!!!
“4 But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,
5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)
6 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:
7 That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.
8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.
10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.”
Praise ye the Lord!!!
“12 This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.
13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.
14 Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.
15 Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.
16 Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.
17 These things I command you, that ye love one another.”
Praise ye the Lord!!!
“Jesus saith unto her, Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God?”
Poor doubting Martha. Remember the story? Martha and her sister Mary and their brother Lazarus. By all indications in the scripture they were all three saved believers in the Son of God. But like so many of us today, Martha, always had doubts and worries and fears.
We have sat at the feet of Jesus and learned of His grace and mercy on us but we still doubt and worry when times get tough. If we would only believe we would see the glory of God, even in the worst of situations. In every trial and tribulation, if we would believe we would see the glory of God.
O what a wretched people we are that even after He makes known unto us His saving power through His Gospel we would still have doubts and fears in this life! “O Wretched man that I am”!
Praise ye the Lord!!!
“51 Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,
52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.
54 So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.
55 O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?
56 The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law.
57 But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.”
After reading such passages as this in God's Word and seeing the promises He has made to His people, why do we still fear death more than we fear our Lord?
Praise ye the Lord!!!
“20 Then began he to upbraid the cities wherein most of
his mighty works were done, because they repented not:
21 Woe unto thee, Chorazin! woe unto thee, Bethsaida!
for if the mighty works, which were done in you, had been done in Tyre and
Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.
22 But I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for
Tyre and Sidon at the day of judgment, than for you.
23 And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted unto heaven,
shalt be brought down to hell: for if the mighty works, which have been done in
thee, had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day.
24 But I say unto you, That it shall be more tolerable
for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment, than for thee.”
A warning our
generation needs to heed today. We claim to be “ One Nation Under God.” But we
are anything but that. A nation whose founding was undeniably on Godly
principles and precepts. For far to long we have turned our backs on the God
who has time and time again shown mercy on us as a nation. How long will His
people in this nation rebel against the God they claim to love? How long will
His people follow after the wickedness provided them by the enemy? Do we really
think we are any better than Tyre and Sidon and Sodom and Gomorrah? Do we not
see and understand what God did to Israel and Judah at the hands of the
Assyrians and the Chaldeans and the Babylonians? Are we any better than God's
people in the Old Testament?
O brethren!!! we
must repent of our evil ways and turn to Christ and seek His face. If we truly
desire to see change in our nation the judgment must start first at the house
of the Lord. The Lord's churches must lead the charge if we are to continue to
see God's mercy upon our land.
Praise ye the
Lord!!!
“32 Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men,
him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven.
33 But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I
also deny before my Father which is in heaven.”
What will you do
today? What about tomorrow? What about the rest of the week?
“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.
11 For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him
shall not be ashamed.”
Praise ye the
Lord!!!
“3 What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee.
4 In God I will praise his word, in God I have put my trust; I will not fear what flesh can do unto me.”
Why do we fear things and people in this life? With all the promises our God has made in His Word. With the many times in our own lives that God has proven Himself over and over. Why do we still fear? Why is this such a difficult lesson for us to learn? God's people have no need to fear what others may do unto them in this life. God has promised to be with us, through the thick and thin, through the good and the bad. He is always there with us.
It's as though we fear what flesh can do unto us more than what God will do unto us. Our fears of this life are because of our lack of fear of God. And that is the true answer to the question.
Praise ye the Lord!!!
“13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
14 How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?
15 And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!”
Verse 13 is very popularly has been used by many a heretic over the years to claim man has a free will when it comes to his salvation. How many sermons have been preached, taking this verse out of context and manipulating it teach a doctrine of devils? How many unsaved souls have passed from this life to the next thinking a “sinners prayer” was the way to Christ? How said it is when men purposely leave out the Sovereignty of God and the working of His Holy Spirit when preaching a false gospel. For it is only by the Blood of Jesus Christ that we are saved. “How then shall they call on him whom they have not believed?” We must believe before we can call upon the Lord. We must believe on the name of Jesus Christ before we will even have a desire to call upon Him. What foolishness is being taught by those apostates! And yet, God's people love to have it so.
“Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved.” “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.”
Praise ye the Lord!!!
“God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?”
How often we forget that God is not like man. God keeps His promises to His people. Even in times of trial and tribulation. God keeps His promises. And is not that the example our Lord has set for His people? If you are wondering, it's part of that “love thy neighbor as thyself” commandment.
Praise ye the Lord!!!
“40 Let us search and try our ways, and turn again to the Lord.
41 Let us lift up our heart with our hands unto God in the heavens.
42 We have transgressed and have rebelled: thou hast not pardoned.”
What will it take for God's people in our nation to repent and seek the Lord? We are a wicked and rebellious generation and as long as we continue as such the Lord makes no promise of His mercy upon us or our land. Will there be another Great Awakening in America? God's Word does not promise that. II Chronicles 7:14 “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.”
We cannot expect the wicked of this land to change. We are told they will only grow worse and worse. But God said “If my people”. God's people must turn from their wicked ways and turn to Him if they desire to see a change in their nation. But, again, are we promised this in our day and time? No, we are not. Our hope is not in our nation or in our politicians. The only true hope the child of God has is in the return of His Son Jesus Christ.
We are commanded to leave peacefully with all men when possible(Romans 12:18) But how can we expect to live peacefully with others when we are not at peace with our God?
“Let us search and try our ways, and turn again to the Lord.”
Praise ye the Lord!!!
“10 Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.
11 Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.”
Are you ready for His coming? We know not the day nor the hour. It could be today. Our hope and prayer is that His coming is this very hour. But are you ready? Have you kept His word? Will you have crowns to lay at the feet of Jesus?
Oh friend, will you even be there with us? Is the Holy Spirit calling you today? Why wait and worry? You can have peace in knowing for sure where you will be when that hour comes. Believe on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ today and come, go with us when He calls for His Bride.
“Even so, come, Lord Jesus.”!!!
Praise ye the Lord!!!
“8 Give thanks unto the Lord, call upon his name, make
known his deeds among the people.
9 Sing unto him, sing psalms unto him, talk ye of all
his wondrous works.
10 Glory ye in his holy name: let the heart of them
rejoice that seek the Lord.
11 Seek the Lord and his strength, seek his face
continually.”
Praise ye the
Lord!!!
“22 But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.
23 For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass:
24 For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.
25 But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.”
Praise ye the Lord!!!
“32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.
33 They answered him, We be Abraham's seed, and were never in bondage to any man: how sayest thou, Ye shall be made free?
34 Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin.
35 And the servant abideth not in the house for ever: but the Son abideth ever.
36 If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.”
Do you know the truth? I mean, really know the truth? Sinners think they have freedom in this old world by living their life the way they want to live. Steeped in wickedness in their life of sin. Living the lie that they need not the Messiah to have true freedom. But as you are bound as a servant and slave to your sin you will not know true freedom. True freedom comes only by the saving power of Jesus Christ. No matter who you think you are or where you come from. Without Christ you will never be anything in this life and certainly not in the next. Riches and fame are only temporary and will bring no true peace . Only a child of the King will inherit eternal riches and peace.
The truth? The real truth? If the Lord is calling you today, answer Him. Run to Him. Leave the life of sin you have chosen and follow Jesus Christ!!!
Praise ye the Lord!!!
“1 He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
2 I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.
3 Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence.
4 He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.
5 Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day;
6 Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday.”
Where is our trust today? Can you truthfully say: “my God; in him will I trust.” If not; then why not?
Praise ye the Lord!!!
“12 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.
13 The Pharisees therefore said unto him, Thou bearest record of thyself; thy record is not true.
14 Jesus answered and said unto them, Though I bear record of myself, yet my record is true: for I know whence I came, and whither I go; but ye cannot tell whence I come, and whither I go.
15 Ye judge after the flesh; I judge no man.
16 And yet if I judge, my judgment is true: for I am not alone, but I and the Father that sent me.
17 It is also written in your law, that the testimony of two men is true.
18 I am one that bear witness of myself, and the Father that sent me beareth witness of me.
19 Then said they unto him, Where is thy Father? Jesus answered, Ye neither know me, nor my Father: if ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also.
20 These words spake Jesus in the treasury, as he taught in the temple: and no man laid hands on him; for his hour was not yet come.
21 Then said Jesus again unto them, I go my way, and ye shall seek me, and shall die in your sins: whither I go, ye cannot come.
22 Then said the Jews, Will he kill himself? because he saith, Whither I go, ye cannot come.
23 And he said unto them, Ye are from beneath; I am from above: ye are of this world; I am not of this world.
24 I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins.
25 Then said they unto him, Who art thou? And Jesus saith unto them, Even the same that I said unto you from the beginning.
26 I have many things to say and to judge of you: but he that sent me is true; and I speak to the world those things which I have heard of him.
27 They understood not that he spake to them of the Father.
28 Then said Jesus unto them, When ye have lifted up the Son of man, then shall ye know that I am he, and that I do nothing of myself; but as my Father hath taught me, I speak these things.
29 And he that sent me is with me: the Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him.
30 As he spake these words, many believed on him.”
“As he spake these words, many believed on him.”
Praise ye the Lord!!!
“8 He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord God will wipe away tears from off all faces; and the rebuke of his people shall he take away from off all the earth: for the Lord hath spoken it.
9 And it shall be said in that day, Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, and he will save us: this is the Lord; we have waited for him, we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation.”
Praise ye the Lord!!!
“10 Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another;
11 Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord;
12 Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer;
13 Distributing to the necessity of saints; given to hospitality.
14 Bless them which persecute you: bless, and curse not.
15 Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep.
16 Be of the same mind one toward another. Mind not high things, but condescend to men of low estate. Be not wise in your own conceits.
17 Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men.
18 If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.
19 Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.
20 Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head.
21 Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.”
Praise ye the Lord!!!
“2 Thus speaketh the Lord of hosts, saying, This people
say, The time is not come, the time that the Lord's house should be built.
3 Then came the word of the Lord by Haggai the
prophet, saying,
4 Is it time for you, O ye, to dwell in your cieled
houses, and this house lie waste?
5 Now therefore thus saith the Lord of hosts; Consider
your ways.
6 Ye have sown much, and bring in little; ye eat, but
ye have not enough; ye drink, but ye are not filled with drink; ye clothe you,
but there is none warm; and he that earneth wages earneth wages to put it into
a bag with holes.
7 Thus saith the Lord of hosts; Consider your ways.
8 Go up to the mountain, and bring wood, and build the
house; and I will take pleasure in it, and I will be glorified, saith the Lord.
9 Ye looked for much, and, lo it came to little; and
when ye brought it home, I did blow upon it. Why? saith the Lord of hosts.
Because of mine house that is waste, and ye run every man unto his own house.
10 Therefore the heaven over you is stayed from dew,
and the earth is stayed from her fruit.
11 And I called for a drought upon the land, and upon
the mountains, and upon the corn, and upon the new wine, and upon the oil, and
upon that which the ground bringeth forth, and upon men, and upon cattle, and
upon all the labour of the hands.
12 Then Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Joshua
the son of Josedech, the high priest, with all the remnant of the people,
obeyed the voice of the Lord their God, and the words of Haggai the prophet, as
the Lord their God had sent him, and the people did fear before the Lord.
13 Then spake Haggai the Lord's messenger in the
Lord's message unto the people, saying, I am with you, saith the Lord.
14 And the Lord stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel
the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua the son of
Josedech, the high priest, and the spirit of all the remnant of the people; and
they came and did work in the house of the Lord of hosts, their God,”
As a member of
one of the Lord's churches, where are you this morning? Will you attend the
service? Will you watch the live broadcast or maybe the recording later? Or are
you so wrapped up in self that the things of God matter not to you?
In our text
verses we see the Prophet Haggai preaching to the people the words of God.
Haggai has been sent by God to motivate the people into rebuilding the Temple
in Jerusalem. They have returned from 70 years of captivity in Babylon. They
have builded their own houses and barns and have planted crops but done nothing
for the rebuilding of the Temple. Physically or spiritually.
The Lord's
churches are in disrepair today. Many have no pastor. Many congregations have
shrunk in number the past several years. And though there are many who are
faithful and continue to attend or during this time of unrest some will at
least stay in contact when they can't attend, there is still much rebuilding to
do with the Lord's House. Please understand, I speak of the spiritual more than
the physical. For we look around us and we see those who claim church
membership but never have a thing to do with the Lord's family. They claim the
name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ but have nothing to do with their
brothers and sisters. Many will bask in the blessings and mercy showed upon
them by the Lord but will refuse to support the spreading of the Gospel of
Jesus Christ.
In our world
today many claim the name of Christ but as did the remnant in Israel claim the
name of God in Haggai's day. But while they enjoy the comforts provided to them
by the One they claim His house lies in waste.
“Thus saith the
Lord of hosts; Consider your ways.”
Praise ye the
Lord!!!
“4 One generation passeth away, and another generation
cometh: but the earth abideth for ever.
5 The sun also ariseth, and the sun goeth down, and
hasteth to his place where he arose.
6 The wind goeth toward the south, and turneth about
unto the north; it whirleth about continually, and the wind returneth again
according to his circuits.
7 All the rivers run into the sea; yet the sea is not
full; unto the place from whence the rivers come, thither they return again.
8 All things are full of labour; man cannot utter it:
the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing.
9 The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be;
and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing
under the sun.
10 Is there any thing whereof it may be said, See,
this is new? it hath been already of old time, which was before us.
11 There is no remembrance of former things; neither
shall there be any remembrance of things that are to come with those that shall
come after.”
Praise ye the Lord!!!
“11 And that, knowing the time, that now it is high
time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we
believed.
12 The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us
therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of
light.
13 Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting
and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying.
14 But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not
provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.”
Are you into
making New Year's Resolutions? How about trying the things listed in these
verses instead of the usual self-help and self-motivated resolutions that most
people make and break?
“But put ye on
the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the
lusts thereof.”
Praise ye the
Lord!!!
