News you won't see in controlled mainstream media.

-JESUS CAME TO SET US FREE!
-Luke 4:14-19-

ON returning to His hometown, Jesus entered the synagogue and--to the amazement of all who were listening--read His job description from the book of Isaiah. Perhaps some people in that congregation were confused by His statement that He was sent to release captives and set the oppressed free (Luke 4:18). Who were those captives? Was He going to storm the prisons?

Jesus was talking about spiritual bonds, not physical ones. Everyone is born with a sinful nature, and we're all enslaved to sin until that bondage gets broken by faith in the Savior. But even after salvation, Jesus is continually setting us free from things that entrap us, hindering our relationship with Him. He delivers us....

***FROM ERROR: The Word of God protects us from the misconceptions and lies that Satan and his world system use to bombard us.
***FROM EVIL DEEDS: God's indwelling Spirit empowers us to resist temptation and live a righteous lifestyle.
***FROM EMOTIONAL BONDAGE: The Lord doesn't want us to be controlled by fear, guilt, jealousy, bitterness, unforgiveness, or inadequacy, which steal the peace and joy Christ promised. When we learn to trust Him in every situation, He will set us free from these negative emotions.

Many Christians live in bondage without realizing it. They know something is wrong but can't straighten out their lives. Despite all their efforts to "be better," they keep failing.
No prisoner has the key to unlock the door, but Jesus is standing outside the cell calling, "Trust Me, and I will set you free!" ~~

--In Touch~

----JESUS CAME TO SET US FREE!
--THE BATTLE RAGES!


"For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." (Ephesians 6:12)


WHEN we were in Romania, we visited a beautiful area known as Moldavia.

The bishop took us around Moldavia and showed us famous churches with paintings from scripture on them. In the pasts, before most people could read, they drew scenes from the Bible on the church walls and used those paintings to teach God's Word and His truth.

I will never forget one picture of a stairway to Heaven, with pilgrims going up the ladder. Below them are devils trying to pull them down into the flames of Hell. At the top of the picture, Jesus stands, waiting in Heaven for the faithful, and above the pilgrims are angels helping them along. That scene shows the great battle between good and evil, between God and Satan, that still rages today.

Today--and every day--put on the full armor of God to fight Satan's attacks, so you can and "be strong in the Lord"
-- (Ephesians 6:10).

--HOPE/BG

--JESUS CAME TO SET US FREE~

--GOD PROMISES PROTECTION~~

"I will never leave you nor forsake you." Hebrews 13:5

-NEVER doubt that you are in the midst of a battle--a spiritual battle with Satan, who will do everything he can to discourage and defeat you. Never underestimate his determination or misunderstand his intentions.

God wants to teach us how to defend ourselves against sin and Satan. Satan, the ultimate bully, attacks us at our weakest points and wants to defeat us so that we will not be effective for God.

God offers spiritual training to build us up inside in much the same way that physical exercise can build us up on the outside. He has also provided all the resources we need to defend ourselves and keep Satan at bay. These include the Bible, prayer, faith, righteous living, and the Holy Spirit within us.

But, like physical training, we must be diligent in their application. God has not promised to shield us from trouble, but He has promised to protect us in the midst of trouble. Most of all, never forget that because of Christ's death and resurrection, Satan is already a defeated foe--and someday the war will be over.~~

--HOPE/BG

--JESUS CAME TO SET US FREE!

--Unload Your Distress~~

-"Casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you"
--1 Peter 5:7 -

-I've been told that the French translation of the verse "Casting all your care upon Him" is "Unloading your distresses upon God."

Have you ever seen a dump truck get rid of its load? The driver simply pushes a button or pulls on a lever, and the heavy load is discharged at the prescribed spot. The truck would be of no use if it carried its burden forever.

We were never meant to be crushed under the weight of care. We can push the button of faith or pull the lever of trust, and our burden is discharged upon the shoulder of Him who said He would gladly bear it. Unload the anxieties of the present moment upon Him, for He cares for you.

If He loved you enough to take away the burden of your sins, can't you trust Him to take away every lesser burden as well?

--The Master's Way~

--TRUE FREEDOM ~

"As free, and not using your liberty for a cloak of maliciousness, but as the servants of God." (1 Peter 2:16)

--WE who live in what the song writer called the "sweet land of liberty" have a great responsibility to preserve that freedom which our forefathers obtained for us at great cost over two centuries ago. At the same time, we must not turn liberty into license. It would surely hurt those brave and godly men if they could see how we now use "freedom of choice" to justify murdering multitudes of innocent children before they are born, and how we use "freedom of speech" to warrant fouling the eyes and ears of our children with widespread pornography and to promote all kinds of immoral behavior in our society in general. No nation can remain free very long after such practices becomes widely accepted by its citizens. We need to pray for revival!

The same warning applies to the abuse of our spiritual freedom in Christ. As the apostle Paul said and repeated: "All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient" (1 Corinthians 6:12; also 1 Corinthians 10:23, where he added that "all things are lawful for me, but all things edify not").

As Peter says in our text, even though we are "free" and have real "liberty," we are nevertheless "servants of God," where the Greek word 'doulos' actually connotes "bond servants," or even "slaves." Our liberty in Christ is not freedom to sin whenever we so choose, but rather freedom from our former bondage to sin. "Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness" (Romans 6:18).

Although our nation is rapidly becoming anti-Christian in belief and practice, we Christians can still best serve our nation and our Savior by practicing and proclaiming Christ's wonderful saving gospel of free salvation from sin and regeneration unto righteousness.~~
--ICR/HMM

--BEHOLD, HE IS BROUGHT OUT, INNOCENT!


--"Pilate then went out again, and said to them, 'Behold, I am bringing Him out to you, that you may know that I find no fault in Him.'" (John 19:4) ~

THE Italian actor Pietro Sarubbi, who portrayed Barabbbas in Mel Gibson's film "The Passion," was actually converted in real life at the moment in the film when Pilate brought out Jesus to the crowds. The actor representing Jesus looked at Pietro. He subsequently wrote a book titled "Converted by a Glance" in which he testifies that, at that moment, he realized that Jesus was going to die for him though he was the offender and Jesus was innocent. The spotless Jesus would die for one who deserved death. He was Barabbas, the sinner being freed, and Jesus was dying in his place.

I am sure that Jesus Himself standing before the crowds would have looked at Barabbas with a look of unconditional love. Even a mere dramatic imitation of this glance broke Sarubbi's heart.

When Pilate brought Jesus out and said that he found Him innocent, he was bringing Him out, not only before everyone present, but also before each of us. As Jesus looks at us full of fathomless love, are we not also "converted by a glance"?
---
Our response to this glance of Jesus, the spotless Lamb of God is so moving that we want to live our lives for Him.~~
------------
What are YOU going to do with this man called the 'Christ'? The choice is yours. Receive Him and be forgiven of all your sins, and spend eternity in Heaven with Him and all the saints gone on before us. OR, choose to deny Him and spend eternity in Hell. Jesus never forces Himself on anyone. He loves you so much that He died so that you might live eternally with Him. If you have not received Him as your Lord and Savior, won't you please take this time to receive Him as King of kings, and Lord of lords, and He will save you, just as you are. Come to Jesus.......and live forever.

--JESUS CAME TO SET US FREE ~

-OUR SOURCE OF CONFIDENCE~
-A Word from: Dave McCarrell
-President: Pacific Garden Mission

THE ACCOUNT FOUND IN 1 Samuel 17 is an example of trusting the Lord to be our source of confidence, rather than in human resources. Goliath challenged the Israelites to choose a man to fight him, and the army of the winner would be considered the victor. No one in the army of Israel was willing to accept the challenge.

Then young David came looking for his brothers and heard of the giant Goliath's challenge and offered to fight him himself. At first he wasn't taken seriously. Then David recounted how he had killed a lion and a bear while he was tending his father's sheep, and he was confident the Lord would deliver the giant into his hand. Saul agreed to let David flight Goliath, but before he sent David to battle, he gave him his armor. David knew he would be unable to wear the armor in battle because he was not used to it. Also, the armor is an example of man-made protection in warfare.

David's past victories were because of trusting God, not due to trusting in a man-made provision or armor. King Saul was a man of weak faith; his confidence was in his armor. David was a man of strong faith; his confidence was in God.

Listen to David's words: "Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield; but I come to thee in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, who thou has defied. This day the Lord will deliver thee into mine hand" (45-46). David told Goliath that this was to be so, "that all the earth may know there is a God in Israel. And the assembly may know the Lord saveth, not with the sword and spear; for the battle is the Lord's, and He will give you into our hands" (46-47). How could David be so sure? He had learned that confidence in the Lord is never misplaced. In the words of Ephesians 6:10, David was "strong in the Lord and in the power of His might."

The great need for believers today is to be "strong in the Lord." This is not a matter of progressive attainment; rather it is a matter of occupying our victorious position that Christ has already gained for us. As we realize those truths and live accordingly, our faith will become stronger and more courageous, for we will see God working in our lives. But remember, we need to take our position with Christ before we begin the battle. Jesus Christ has already triumphed over our foes; therefore, we need to take our position with Him in the place of victory. There should be no question in the believers' minds because Christ has already accomplished the victory. The real victory over Goliath was won before David ever went to meet him in the valley. Our victory is a spiritual warfare that has already been won by Christ's death and resurrection before we entered the battle.

The conflict does not consist in fighting for a victory with the Lord's help. We do not need to ask for victory, because God has already gained the victory. We do not fight for victory, but from a position of victory in Christ. Because Christ has already gained the victory, the enemy has already been defeated and is a conquered foe.

Christ has won the victory for His people by His death and resurrection long before the battle started.
JESUS CONQUERED DEATH AT THE CROSS!~~~

-GOD USES UNLIKELY PEOPLE~~~
-By: Max Lucado-

-John Egglen had never preached a sermon in his life. Never.
Wasn't that he didn't want to, just never needed to. But then one morning he did. The snow left his town of Colchester, England, buried in white. When he awoke on that January Sunday in 1850, he thought of staying home. Who would go to church in such weather?

But he reconsidered. He was, after all, a Deacon. And if the Deacon's didn't go, who would? So he put on his boots, hat, and coat and walked the six miles to the Methodist Church.

He wasn't the only member who considered staying home. In fact, he was one of the few who came. Only thirteen people were present. Twelve members and one visitor. Even the Minister was snowed in. Someone suggested they go home. Egglen would hear none of that. They'd come this far; they would have a service. Besides, they had a visitor. A thirteen-year-old boy.
But who would preach? Egglen was the only Deacon. It fell to him.

And so he did. His sermon lasted only ten minutes. It drifted and wandered and made no point in an effort to make several. But at the end, an uncharacteristic courage settled upon the man. He lifted his eyes and looked straight at the boy and challenged: "Young man, look, to Jesus. Look! Look! Look!"

Did the challenge make a difference? Let the boy, now a man answer. "I did look, and then and there the cloud of my heart lifted, the darkness rolled away and at that moment I saw the sun, the Son of God, Jesus!"

The boy's name? Charles Haddon Spurgeon. England's prince of preachers.

--From: 'When God Whispers Your Name' ~~

--WILL THERE EVER BE WORLD PEACE?

"Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this." --ISAIAH 9:7 -

IT doesn't take a whole lot of observation to recognize the world isn't becoming a better place. Yet it wasn't too long ago that many people thought the world was heading toward its own utopia. World War I was called "the war that would end all wars." And even theologians were predicting the coming of God's Kingdom because mankind was getting better and better!

And yet, we've seen just the opposite on a global scale. After World War I came the Second World War, then wars in Korea, Vietnam, the Gulf, the war on terror, and countless other conflicts that have plagued humankind. And needless to say, almost nobody is predicting world peace anymore.

The only hope for world peace we have is when the 'Prince of Peace' comes again. On that day, He will set up an everlasting Kingdom of peace right here on earth.

World peace will come, but it won't be by our efforts. Yes, let's strive all we can for peace, but understand that the only real and lasting peace will come when Jesus is King over all the earth and sin is no more!

--Do your best to make peace, but understand that real and lasting peace will only come when Christ returns. "Even so, Come Lord Jesus."

--PP/JG
<http://youtu.be/hh09RDPzCTk> / This is a Video of Paul Wilbur and his orchestra/muscians made in Jerusalem. Watch at your leisure. PRAY FOR THE PEACE OF JERUSALEM

-JESUS CAME TO SET US FREE!

-- The Sin of the Devil
--By: Henry Morris, Ph.D.

"Now I know that the LORD is greater than all gods: for in the thing wherein they dealt proudly he was above them." (Exodus 18:11)

-This is the first mention in the Bible of the sin of pride, and it appropriately refers to the primeval sin of the "gods"—that is, the supposed deities of the heathen.

Led by Lucifer, a great host of the created angels had rebelled against their Creator, seeking also to be "gods" like Him. Lucifer, later to be called Satan (i.e., "adversary"), thought he could become the highest of all. "O Lucifer . . . thou hast said in thine heart, I will . . . exalt my throne above the stars of God: . . . I will be like the most High. Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell" (Isaiah 14:12-15).


Satan's sin—and that of the other self-proclaimed "gods"—was that of "being lifted up with pride . . . the condemnation of the devil" (1 Timothy 3:6). But they shall all, with him, eventually "be brought down to hell" and the "everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels" (Matthew 25:41).

This was also the sin of Adam and Eve, for Satan had seduced them with the promise "ye shall be as gods" (Genesis 3:5).

It is also the sin of all humanists and evolutionary pantheists, from Adam's day to our day, for they seek to do away with God and make "gods" out of "corruptible man." They have "worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator" (Romans 1:23, 25).

But "pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall" (Proverbs 16:18). Our Lord of creation is "above all gods," even in that "thing wherein they dealt proudly." The sin of pride was the very first sin and is still the most difficult sin to overcome, but "God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble" (1 Peter 5:5).

--ICR/HMM

--FOOD THAT ENDURES~~
-John 6:1-14

-"Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you."
--(John 6:27)-

The Jews were beginning to connect the dots about Jesus. Moses was a prophet in the wilderness...and so was Jesus. Long ago, through Moses, God had provided the people of Israel bread from heaven...and so had Jesus. Their insights were both remarkable and accurate.

In dozens of ways, the story of the Exodus was a foreshadowing of Jesus. Moses was a type of the Messiah that was to come. He was a picture of who Jesus would be. If the Jews understood so much, why did Jesus become frustrated saying, "I tell you the truth, you are looking for me, not because you saw miraculous signs but because you ate the loaves and had your fill" (v.26). Their excitement had nothing to do with the One who had worked the miracle nor with the miracle itself. They simply wanted more bread.

How prone we are to value the gifts more than the Giver! All the blessings of this world are as rubbish compared to Christ, yet their allure often captures our greatest affections. Let's set our hearts on Jesus, our Provider.
---
Reflect on your prayer life. What topics occupy the majority of your time with the Lord? What does this tell you about your greatest affections? ~

--Haven Ministries / JESUS SAID I AM THE BREAD OF LIFE! (please, let's remember we are watching the video and not the makers of it. JESUS IS THE BREAD OF LIFE)
<http://youtu.be/vci5QPRvSQk>

---Good Courage

"Be strong and of a good courage: for unto this people shalt thou divide for an inheritance the land, which I sware unto their fathers to give them." (Joshua 1:6)-
-------

This admonition to be strong and of "good courage" (Hebrew amass) is given some ten times in the Old Testament, plus another nine times using a different word (chasaq). The first occurrence of amass is in Deuteronomy 3:28, where it is translated "strengthen": "But charge Joshua, and encourage him, and strengthen him: for he shall go over before this people, and he shall cause them to inherit the land which thou shalt see."

Christians today surely need good courage to face a dangerous world with all its temptations and intimidations, but nothing today could compare to the challenge facing Joshua. Trying to lead a nondescript multitude of "stiffnecked" desert nomads into a land of giants and walled cities would surely require courage beyond anything we could imagine today.

But Joshua had access to invincible resources, and so do we. "Be strong and of a good courage," God told him. "Be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest" (Joshua 1:9).

Giants and walled cities are no match for the children of God when He goes with them, for "if God be for us, who can be against us?" (Romans 8:31).

God did go with Joshua, and the Israelites defeated the giants, destroyed the walled cities, and took the land. And we have the same promise today, for "He hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me" (Hebrews 13:5-6). Courage is really another name for faith, and "what he had promised, he was able also to perform" (Romans 4:21).

--ICR/HMM/ "Who Is Like You,(Lord, Our King)"/Paul Wilbur
<http://youtu.be/afxJVRCd548>
------------

--Living Water
-John 4:1-26

"If you knew...who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water."
----(John 4:10)-

Jesus had a way of communicating deep truths that left people scratching their heads. One of those people was the Samaritan woman who met Jesus at the well. She first thought He was offering her a literal drink of water. She had no idea who He really was, so what He actually offered didn't make much sense to her.

That's the crucial question for us today, isn't it? Who is Jesus? Before we can understand what He offers, we must know who He is. A teacher? Yes! A prophet? Yes! But that's not enough. Jesus is more. ...'All things have been created through Him and for Him. ...in Him all things hold together (see Colossians 1:16-17).' There is only One of whom this can be true. If God's Word says these things about Jesus, then Jesus must be God!

Think of it! The One who invented water offers us Himself, the source of all life...the Living Water. And He does not intend that we should only drink once, but over and over again. He will always satisfy our souls to overflowing; His life pouring into us will never run dry.
---
The Living Water is available to you today. His supply is endless. Drink deeply of Christ and be satisfied! / For there is Nobody Like You, O Lord!

--Haven Today/"Nobody Like You" / Paul Wilbur/
<http://youtu.be/mnBCZ0XC_Nk>

--"I'm....UH
-...SORRY"

-PSALM 51:1-17
------
Blot out my
transgressions. Wash
me thoroughly from
my iniquity, and
cleanse me from my
sin. --Psalm 51:1-2
-----
THE news is quick to report all the details of famous people's wrongdoings and their subsequent confessions. Perhaps it's an athlete who was arrested for driving while drunk. Or it could be a politician caught in an indiscretion. Only God knows the heart, but when we hear a stuttered "I'm ...uh...sorry," we may wonder if they are truly repentant or just sorry they got caught.

When we read the confession of the famous King David we see what looks like genuine contriteness. In his public discussion of his sins in Psalm 51, this disgraced monarch--who had a record of flagrant sins, which he had kept hidden (2 Sam. 12:1-13; Psm. 32:3-5)--pleads for mercy.

He recognized that his sin was an affront to God--not just to people--and that God alone can judge him (Ps. 51:1-6). He realized that he must be cleansed by God (vv.7-10), and he celebrated his restoration through service and worship (vv.11-17).

All of us sin and fall short of God's glory. When we feel the burden of sin weighing us down, we have the blessing of confession and forgiveness (1 John 1:9) to lift us up. Isn't it just like our great God to turn even our sins into an opportunity to grow in His grace and love!
-----
-CONFESSION IS AGREEING WITH GOD ABOUT OUR SIN.~

-Hi Lynn, I see your note in the sidebar, and I just want to say I'm sorry for our disagreements. We just look at things from a different angle. What matters is that I love you too, my friend. And since we are going to spend eternity together we might as well get the record straight. So let's both claim 1 John 1:9!

Hi Abigail,
Of course thats what matters is
Yes!

--THE POWER OF
COMPASSION ~~

-Isaiah 42:1-9
-----
A bruised reed He
will not break, and
smoking flax He will
not quench.
--Isaiah 42:3-
------
-FRANCIS Schaeffer, author and Christian apologist, struggled with spelling because of dyslexia. At the college he attended, spelling errors lowered the grade on all assignments. During his first year, a professor told him, "This is the best philosophy paper I've ever read, but it's the worst spelling. What am I going to do? I can't pass you."
Francis replied, "Sir, I could never spell. Could you please just read what I'm saying and not worry about the spelling?"

After a long pause the professor replied,"You know, Mr. Schaeffer, I think we'll do that." His wise, compassionate response encouraged a gifted young man who would later help many of the searching generation during the 1960s and 70s to find their way to faith in Christ.

Isaiah said of the promised Messiah, "A bruised reed He will not break, and smoking flax He will not quench; He will bring forth justice for truth" (Isa. 42:3). The image is of a gentle, yet powerful Person who sets prisoners free and encourages those who are fainthearted and tempted to despair.

Jesus came to free us from sin, not to condemn us for our condition. Today, He offers salvation and encouragement to all who turn to Him.
---------------
-WHEN WE COME TO CHRIST IN OUR BROKENNESS,
-- HE MAKES US WHOLE.

--ODB/DM

--HE HEARS, HE CARES, HE COMES~~
--Exodus 3:7-10

"I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned about their suffering. So I have come down to rescue them...." (Exodus 3:7-8)

THERE were long days of suffering; years of waiting. Those Israelite slaves surely experienced deep discouragement, honest questions about God's absence, and sincere wrestling to understand God's working. They must have understood the truth that Isaiah later expressed, direct from God:; "'For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,' declares the Lord. 'As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts'" (Isaiah 55:8-9)

We may not understand God's working, and certainly not His timing! Many of us have known long years of waiting for a sign of hope in a dark situation. But we can rest assured that He does hear, He does care, and--at the right time--He does come. Our task is simply to cry out to Him in prayer, to trust Him to know what is best for our needs, and to rest in His great compassion.

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest" (Matthew 11:28).
---
-"Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you." (1 Peter 5:7) ~~

--LOOKING DOWN~~

--Luke 18:9-14
----
-"I say...to everyone
who is among you,
not to think of himself
more highly than he
ought to think, but to
think soberly."
---Romans 12:3-
---
AFTER I had minor eye surgery, the nurse told me, "Don't look down for the next 2 weeks. No cooking or cleaning." The last part of those instructions was a little easier to take than the first part! The incisions needed to heal, and she didn't want me to put any unnecessary pressure on them by looking down.

C.S. Lewis wrote about another kind of looking down that we may have a problem with: "In God you come up against something which is in every respect immeasurably superior to yourself...As long as you are proud you cannot know God. A proud man is always looking down on things and people: and, of course, as long as you are looking down, you cannot see something that is above you" (Mere Christianity).

Jesus told a parable about a Pharisee who felt superior to others. In a prideful prayer, he thanked God that he was not like other men (Luke 18:11). He looked down on extortioners, adulterers, and the tax collector who was also praying in the temple. By contrast, the tax collector knew he was a sinner before God and asked for His mercy (v.13).

Pride can be an issue for all of us. May we not look down on others but instead see the God who is far above us all.

--When I survey the wondrous cross
On which the Prince of Glory died,
My richest gain I count but loss,
And pour contempt on all my pride.
----
--SPIRITUAL PRIDE IS THE MOST ARROGANT
OF ALL KINDS OF PRIDE. ~

--ODB/AC

--IMITATE ME....

-1 Corinthians 4:10-17
---
Imitate me, just as
I also imitate Christ.
--1 Corinthians 11:1-
----
If you do a quick reading of 1 Corinthians 4, you might think the apostle Paul sounds a bit boastful when he says to follow his example of self-sacrifice (v.6). But a closer look at Paul's words shows why he wrote so confidently. He could ask people to imitate him because he imitated Christ (11:1), the greatest Servant of all

The persecution he endured and the position he held in the church (4:10-17) all happened because Paul followed Jesus. When he mentioned that even if the Corinthians had 10,000 teachers he would still be their father in the faith (v.15), he was acknowledging that Jesus is the only reason people could trust his teaching.

If we want people to imitate us, we must first imitate our Lord. If we have any reason for people to follow our example--if we have any courage to point others tot he Savior--it is because of Him, not us.

--Others should imitate us only as far as we imitate Christ.
--THE POWER OF YOUR LOVE~~
--ODB/AC .<http://youtu.be/H9_0jiO5ZRM?
-------

--UNFAILING
--MERCY ~~~

-Luke 22:54-62
----
Through the LORD's
mercies we are not
consumed, because
His compassions fail
not. ...Great is Your
faithfulness.
--Lam. 3:22-23
---
-AS I strolled through Chicago's O'Hare Airport, something caught my eye--a hat worn by someone racing through the concourse. What caught my attention was the message it conveyed in just two words: "Deny Everything." I wondered what it meant. Don't ever admit to guilt? Or deny yourself the pleasures and luxuries of life? I scratched my head at the mystery of those two simple words, "Deny Everything."

One of Jesus' followers, Simon Peter, did some denying. In a critical moment, he denied three times that He even knew Jesus! (Luke 22:57,58,60). His fearfilled act of denial caused him such guilt and heartache that, broken by his spiritual failure, he could only go out and weep bitterly (v.62).

But Peter's denial of Christ, like our own moments of spiritual denial, could never diminish the compassion of God. The prophet Jeremiah wrote, "Through the LORD's mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness" (Lam. 3:22-23). We can take heart that even when we fail, our faithful God comes to us in mercy and compassion that never fails!
-----
-BEING IMPERFECT EMPHASIZES OUR
DEPENDENCE ON GOD'S MERCY. ~~
--ODB/BC
<http://youtu.be/ydvVNE36oyY>

--Keith Green/ Lord, How Majestic is Your Name!

--Escape Death and Live Forever~

-Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die.”
---John 11:25-26

-Perhaps you’ve heard the famous riddle,

Who was the oldest man who ever lived
who died before his father did?

On the surface, that riddle seems very difficult. In fact, it looks like a complete impossibility. How could anyone be the oldest person to ever live yet fail to outlive his own father? It doesn’t make any sense!

Now, if you know your Bible, you know the oldest man to ever live was Methuselah. He lived to the ripe old age of 969. But what does it mean that he died before his father did? Well, his father was Enoch, who according to the Bible, “walked with God, and he was not, for God took him” (Genesis 5:24).

Enoch never died… his life was marked by such an intimate walk with God that instead of experiencing death like everyone else, he was taken by God.

Now I’m not going to tell you that if you walk intimately enough with God, the same will happen to you. But Enoch is an example of faithfulness. And those who do faithfully walk with God won’t experience spiritual death, but will be ushered by God into eternal life. Walk faithfully, and you’ll be guaranteed to never taste spiritual death!

-EMBRACE THE GUARANTEED PROMISE YOU HAVE OF ETERNAL LIFE BY WALKING FAITHFULLY WITH GOD

--PP/JG

--GIVE LIFE TO OUR DYING WORLD~~

“You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people's feet.”
----Matthew 5:13

If you had to choose one word to describe our world today, what would it be? Wonderful? Tragic? Beautiful? Dreadful? While each of these might describe our world in part, I think the best overall description of the world in which we live is ‘decaying.’

In a decaying world, you can have elements of both good and bad. That delicious steak in your refrigerator is decaying. Now that doesn’t make it automatically inedible, but it is actively spoiling. And if left to its own, it will turn rotten.

Our world is in the process of turning rotten. Morally… spiritually… and physically, it’s slowly dying and will one day be no more. But as believers, God calls us to be salt, a preservative that is added to stave off decay and preserve life. That’s the role of the Christian here on this planet!

As a believer in Jesus Christ, you have a unique role of a preservative in the world. Morally you do that by following the precepts of God. Spiritually it happens by sharing Christ with the lost. And physically the world is preserved when you care for God’s creation. Be salt and help preserve life in our decaying and dying world!

--HELP PRESERVE OUR MORALLY, SPIRITUALLY, AND PHYSICALLY DECAYING WORLD BY BEING THE SALT OF THE EARTH!
<http://youtu.be/hRbWy8Rwha8>
-------

--OVERCOME THEM~~

-"Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is he that is in you than he that is in the world." (1 John 4:4)

THIS is one of the most reassuring promises in the Bible for the believer. Because "we are of God" and because He is in us (as the Holy Spirit, 1 Corinthians 3:16) and is "greater...than he that is in the world," we have already overcome!

I firmly believe that there are no empty promises in the Bible, and I know that this passage is true. But there are times when I do not feel like I am over anything. Just what does this promise promise? And who are "them" that I have to overcome?

To begin with, The Greek word means to conquer, overcome, prevail, or get the victory. It is translated similarly in speaking of the Lord's ultimate victory as He assumes the throne in heaven to bring about the end of the age (Revelation 5:5). And in the same way, we are to conquer as we "reign in life" (Romans 5:17), because we are "born of God" (1 John 5:4). The Lord Jesus has overcome the world (John 16:33), and since we believe that Jesus is the Son of God, we too will get the victory over the world (1 John 5:5; Romans 12:2).

The "them" are those who are driven to embrace ungodly antichrist doctrines (1 Timothy 4:1) and worldly philosophies (James 4:4). They are those who "love the world" (1 John 2:15-17) and seek to spoil (plunder and/or take captive) the people of God (Colossians 2:8). We, on the other hand, are to prevail over evil with good (Romans 12:21) and take them captive with the mighty "weapons of our warfare" (2 Corinthians 10:3-5), which are the Word of God and prayer (Ephesians 6:13-18).

--ICR/ A Firm Foundation

----Victory Over Guilt
--John 3:16-17

--"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
"For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him."

At times, people are bound by guilt long after the feeling should have been resolved. Some rightly live with it because they refuse to give up the sin that brought it on. Meanwhile, others suffer the weight of false guilt because they harbor shame that doesn't belong to them. Whatever the root cause of your condemnation, the battle plan remains the same.

Victory over guilt begins with understanding that Jesus took our shame to the Cross and paid our penalty. There is no way that we can pay for our own sin. But we do need to honestly identify the source of our guilt and confess before God. That means we agree with His perspective on what we've done. In other words, we admit when we're wrong. Repentance goes a step further: we turn away from the wrong and choose to do right.

Confronting guilt in this way replaces the weight of shame in our heart with peace and joy, which are far lighter and more freeing. And an amazing side effect is that we have wisdom to share. Openness about our past mistakes, resulting consequences, guilt burdens, and forgiveness can reveal the Lord to those in our sphere of influence. Through our witness, God may reach others who need their guilt chains broken.

The battle to overcome guilt is one that should not be delayed. The feeling won't just go away. Whether your condemnation is true or false, it needs to be dealt with quickly. Stop running, and face the source of your guilt. It's time to end your captivity and start walking in the joy of God's blessing.
--In Touch~
[-Jesus paid our sin-debt! We are now free and there is no condemnation to those that are in Christ Jesus!]
<http://youtu.be/brVIlXlJRkQ>
-------
---

---Life’s Great Liberator
--Luke 4:16-21=(Rec'd Reading)

From some people’s countenance, we judge them to be happy. Smiles, makeup, and stylish clothing can create an appearance of inner peace. Internally, though, many are in bondage.

In today’s passage, Jesus clarifies His purpose: He has come to set free those in captivity. Christ was referring to several types of bonds that can imprison our souls.

-First, Jesus breaks the chains of sin. All people have broken God’s law and consequently live apart from Him (Rom. 3:23). But Christ’s death and resurrection free us when we accept His gift of forgiveness and place our trust in Him. Then we can have a relationship with the Lord.

-Secondly, He liberates us from persistent sins like jealousy, bitterness, and gluttony. His Spirit resides within each believer and provides the power to overcome wrong choices that seemed to “own” us. He enables us to do what He desires—by bringing immediate healing or by giving guidance and strength in the ongoing battle.

The Creator of mankind made us with a void in our hearts for Jesus to fill. Everything we put there—whether it seems like a good thing at the time or an obvious bad choice—will ultimately leave us empty. And we will remain in bondage until God frees us and then provides the only true satisfaction.

Are you one of those people who appear happy and seem to have life figured out, and yet inside feel uneasy and empty? Jesus Christ is the only One who can redeem you, forgive your sins, and fill the vacant place in your soul. Allow Him to liberate you today.

--IN TOUCH~~ / BREAK EVERY CHAIN! =(Power in the Name of Jesus)
<http://youtu.be/EtyVdC7E6Wo>
----------

--Literally and Figuratively -[The Bible is alive and powerful sharper than any two-edged sword.-You need spiritual discernment in understanding God's Word. Pray for Him to open your spiritual eyes and mind.]

“And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.” - Revelation 12:9

Sometimes people ask, “Is the Bible to be interpreted literally or figuratively?” I answer, “Yes!” It is to be interpreted figuratively and literally all at the same time.

The Bible is full of symbolism. But you must find out what the symbol stands for, and then you literally believe it. For example, in the book of Revelation the devil is symbolized as a huge dragon. Don't say, “Oh, that's just symbolism, there is no devil.” The golden arches symbolize McDonald's, right? When you see those golden arches, do you say, “Oh, that's just a symbol. There is no McDonald's restaurant. There’s no such thing as a hamburger”? You wouldn't say that! No. It’s a symbol, but when you know what the symbol stands for, you can apply it literally.

-When you open the Word of God, first pray over it. Then ponder it. Ask these six questions:

1.) Is there a promise to claim?
2.) Is there a lesson to learn?
3.) Is there a blessing to enjoy?
4.) Is there a command to obey?
5.) Is there a sin to avoid?
6.) Is there a new thought to carry with me?

Pray, “Oh God, open my eyes; move upon my heart; give me understanding,” and you ponder it. You think about it. Then with a pen close by, you write these things down. Read it through, think it clear, write it down, pray it in, live it out, and pass it on.~~

--Adrian Rogers

---Not Any Should Perish

“The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” - 2 Peter 3:9

Some people believe there is a certain number of persons who are going to be saved and that number has been fore-ordained—already settled, nothing we can do about it. They believe God has predestined some for Heaven and some for Hell. I don't believe that for one second!

I believe God wants everybody to be saved. Read today’s verse—black print on white paper. Don't get the idea that God created a little baby and said, “You, child, are going to go to Hell, and there's absolutely nothing you can do about it.” I don't believe that for a moment. Listen, God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

It’s one thing to believe this. It’s another to get out there and start sharing the Gospel with people. What are you doing to present them with the opportunity to be saved? Are you sharing the Lord Jesus Christ?
--Adrian Rogers=/ Come, Now is the Time to Worship~
<http://youtu.be/NPWq8eM4lu8>
----------

--FINDING POWER IN FAITH, THROUGH CHRIST~

For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?--
---1 John 5:4-5

I remember when I was growing up in our little church in Arkansas, I would always look forward to those four times a year when we received Sunday school quarterlies for kids. In them, they had all kinds of activities and coloring pages for kids to learn about the Bible.

I’ll never forget one page I colored in one of those little books from the story of Daniel and the den of lions. One thing that I distinctly remember about the picture is Daniel’s posture. As he was kneeling in the den with the lions surrounding him, he had his hands behind him, his shoulders back, his head erect, and a peaceful look on his face.

I remember thinking, even as a little boy, “What faith!” When someone can look at the very things that want to devour him and trust in the Lord with all confidence, that’s a person who knows what it means to have faith.

This kind of faith isn’t just for Daniel, Moses, the apostle Paul, or Jesus. This faith can be your faith too. So when your enemies seek to devour you, don’t fret. Trust in God. When you hit hard times, don’t worry. Trust God. Have faith in every circumstance that by God’s power, you can overcome!

-THE FAITH OF THE HEROES OF THE BIBLE CAN BE YOUR FAITH TOO. SO WHEN HARD TIMES HIT, TRUST IN GOD AND YOU WILL OVERCOME.
--PP/JG

---THE WILL OF GOD~

--BIBLE MEDITATION:
“For whosoever shall do the will of God, the same is My brother, and My sister, and mother.” Mark 3:35

--DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:
--Major Ian Thomas, English author and founder of a worldwide missionary fellowship, once wrote, “Which of these things in the life of Jesus is more spiritual? When Jesus preached the Sermon on the Mount? When He raised Lazarus from the dead? When He washed His disciples’ feet? Or when He spat on the ground and made clay to anoint the blind man’s eyes? None was more spiritual than the other. Jesus did not divide His life up into little segments of spirituality. He was simply available to do whatever His Father willed.”
The will of God is not a road map. It is a relationship! You just simply set yourself apart to do the will of God.

--ACTION POINT:
Are you segregating your life into activities that are more spiritual than others? Surrender all you are to Him and make yourself available for whatever He calls you to do today.
--Adrian Rogers ~ Take All Of Me~~ Hillsong ~
<http://youtu.be/r62bIweSLrE>
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---A Guilt-Free You

--If you are in Christ, your sin is gone. It was last seen on the back of your Sin Bearer as he headed out to Death Valley. When Jesus cried on the Cross, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”—he entered the wilderness on your behalf. He carried your sin away.

Open yourself to the idea of a guilt-free you. This may be difficult. You have dragged around your past for so long you can’t imagine yourself with it. Jesus sees a revision of your script. Give God your guilt! Pray this simple “pocket prayer.”
“Father you are good. I need help. Forgive me. Thank you for paying my sin-debt."amen~ Place your guilt on the back of your Sin Bearer!
--Max Lucado
[Don't listen to the devil, as he keeps bringing up your past sins. They have already been dealt with, (paid-in-full), by Jesus Christ when He died on that old rugged Cross. "Thank You, Jesus, for paying our sin-debt and setting us free." "Whom the Son sets free is free indeed!" / AMAZING GRACE (My Chains Are Gone)-C.Tomlin~
<http://youtu.be/fN-0QUWkzVs>
---------

--Who You Are in Christ ~~
“There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus.” - Romans 8:1

The key to living a victorious Christian life is to discover who you are in Christ. Many Christians have never discovered this. They remind me of the man who had an identity problem and an energy crisis at the same time. He didn’t know who he was and he was too tired to find out.

God doesn’t work from the outside in. He works from the inside out.. God doesn’t modify our behavior in order to change us. He changes us in order to modify our behavior.

You’re never going to purify the water by painting the pump. That’s legalism, and that’s a dead end to discovering who you are in Christ.

As you study God’s Word, start a list: begin to write down those phrases that apply to you, like the phrase “in Christ.” Now that you are “in Christ,” the phrase “no condemnation” is one you should write down!

--Adrian Rogers / REFINER'S FIRE ~ Brian Doerksen ~~
<http://youtu.be/aSIazjrA0Ls>
---------

--Those Who Went Before You Have Set Your Pace

--BIBLE MEDITATION:
“Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the Author and Finisher of our faith.” Hebrews 12:1-2a

--DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:
There are a lot of athletes with natural ability, but what is it that turns a mediocre athlete into a gold medal champion? One athlete is willing to hurt more than the other. When you can’t take another step, your muscles are sore, your body is aching—this is what it means to be running the race with perseverance, as mentioned in Hebrews 12:1. You are bearing up under tremendous pressure. You are running to build endurance.

--ACTION POINT:
Today you may be hurting because a family member, coworker, or classmate has been unfair to you. A spouse has left. A friend walked away. Perhaps you were passed over for a promotion. Run with patience, as others have done before you. These are the ones in that “great crowd of witnesses.” They testify to the fact that no matter how hard, it can be done. Look to Jesus. Building a faith that will go the distance takes both patience and time.
--Adrian Rogers~~
------REVELATION SONG -- Phillips, Craig and Dean ~~
<http://youtu.be/sF_t1vFPrN8>
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-BELIEVING IN THE LIVING GOD ~~

“If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater: for this is the witness of God which He hath testified of His Son.” -
--(1 John 5:9)
-------------
I’ve been asked, “Pastor Rogers, do you expect me to believe in Jesus Christ just because your book says that He lived? That’s not enough for me.”

I agree. You need something else. If you want to know who Jesus Christ is, ask the Holy Spirit.

God says, “If you want to believe, I will help you to understand and to know that these things are true.”

Don’t tell me that you cannot believe. You may refuse to believe, but I will tell you this. If you want to believe in Jesus Christ and if you seek Truth, God the Holy Spirit will speak to you and confirm to you that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God.

Read Deuteronomy 4:29—“But if from thence thou shalt seek the LORD thy God, thou shalt find Him, if thou seek Him with all thy heart and with all thy soul.”

Do you want to know the living God? He is there if you seek Him with all your heart. ~~~
--Adrian Rogers
----
-We read in [Luke 4:16-21], Jesus Was Rejected at Nazaraeth~~

--He went to Nazareth, where He had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. And He stood up to read. The scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to Him. Unrolling it, He found the place where is is written:

"The Spirit of the Lord is on me,
because He has anointed me to preach good news to the poor.

He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted.
To proclaim liberty to the captives,
and recovery of sight for the blind,
to release the oppressed,
to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord."

Then [Jesus] rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on Him, and He began by saying to them, "Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing."
--(Luke 4:14-21)

--So all bore witness to Him, and marveled at the gracious words which proceeded out of His mouth. And they said, "Is this not Joseph's son?" (vs. 22)

So all those in the synagogue, when they heard these things were filled with wrath, and rose up and thrust Him out of the city; and they led Him to the brow of the hill on which their city was built, that they might throw Him down over the cliff. Then passing through the midst of them, Jesus went on His way."(NKJV)~~ (vs. 28-31)

--WHAT IS THE CHURCH? - / WHO IS THE CHURCH?

--"He (Jesus), is before all things, and
in Him all things hold together. And He
is the head of the body, the church; He
is the beginning and the first born from
among the dead, so that in everything He
might have the supremacy."
---(Colossians 1:17-18)

--When most people hear the word “church,” the first thing they think of is a certain type of building. But let’s see what Christ said about the church so we can more fully understand its biblical meaning.

In Matthew 16:18, Jesus proclaimed, “I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” (KJV). He obviously had in mind something much greater than a mere architectural structure. In fact, He was referring to the whole body of Christ, which is comprised of all believers worldwide—everyone who has trusted Jesus as personal Savior and is a child of the heavenly Father. The church began on the day of Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit came and anointed a group of Jesus’ followers (Acts 2). It will continue until an event referred to as the rapture of the church, when every believer in Christ will be caught up to meet Him in the sky (1 Thess. 4:17).

The church is not merely a place for social action or fellowship, though these are important aspects of its ministry. Rather, the church is the entire body of Christ, both corporately and individually filled and enabled by the Holy Spirit to carry out the task designated by Jesus Himself. In other words, the purpose of the church is to bring people to a saving knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ and to make disciples, instructing them and growing them up in the things of God (Matt. 28:19-20).

Our responsibility is to obey. Have you asked yourself what role you should be playing in the ministry of the church?/- WE, the people of Christ are the Body. "If We Are the Body" / Casting Crowns~~
--IN TOUCH~~<https://youtu.be/62wW-vAJddE>

**Lessons to Be Learned From the Letters to the Church of Colosse~
---

---Lessons from Colossians
“To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ which are at Colosse: Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.”
---(Colossians 1:2)

-Paul’s letter to the church in Colossae is especially instructive to those who would seek a close relationship with the Lord Jesus.

**Chapter 1 provides a breathtaking summary of the purpose for which we are saved and the eternal changes that take place at salvation: “And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled in the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight” (Colossians 1:21-22).

**Chapter 2 provides clear warnings about the spiritual battle that is taking place and precise insights on gaining victory over the world: “As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him: rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving” (Colossians 2:6-7).

**Chapter 3 insists that our responsibility is to take advantage of what has been provided by Christ and to live as Christ-ians: “If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth” (Colossians 3:1-2).

**Chapter 4 gives practical instructions for our day-to-day relationships through the lives of the godly men who worked with Paul: “Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time. Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man” (Colossians 4:5-6).
--ICR/ HMM III

--NO FEAR~~

-'The angel said
to them, "Do not
be afraid."
--(Luke 2:10)
-----
NEARLY every time an angel appears in the Bible the first words he says are, "Do not be afraid" (DAN 10:12; MATT 28:5; REV 1:17). Little wonder.
When the supernatural makes contact with planet Earth, it usually leaves the human observers flat on their faces in catatonic fear. But Luke tells of God making an appearance on earth in a form that does not frighten. In Jesus, born in a barn and laid in a feeding trough, God finds at last a mode of approach that we need not fear. What could be less scary than a newborn baby?

Puzzled skeptics stalked Jesus throughout His ministry. How could a baby in Bethlehem, a carpenter's son, be the Messiah from God? But a group of shepherds in a field had no doubt about who He was, for they heard the message of good news straight from a choir of angels (2:8-14).

Why did God take on human form? The Bible gives many reasons, some densely theological and some quite practical; but the scene of Jesus as an adolescent lecturing rabbis in the temple gives one clue (v.46). For the first time, ordinary people could hold a conversation, a debate, with God in visible form. Jesus could talk to anyone--His parents, a rabbi, a poor widow--without first having to announce, "Don't be afraid."

--In Jesus, God comes close to us.

'I'm humbled, Lord, that You would come near to me. But I'm grateful. Thank you, Lord Jesus.' ~~

---GOD INCARNATE IS THE END OF FEAR ~~(F.B.Meyer)

ODB/PY--/ Here With You / Hillsong Worship~
<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uT7iKbD8SRU>

--GRACE HAPPENED~~

All ships that land at the shore of grace weigh anchor from the port of sin. We must start where God starts. We won’t appreciate what grace does until we understand who we are. Rebels. We’re Barabbas. And like him we deserve to die.

Four prison walls, thickened with fear and hate, surround us. We are incarcerated by our past, our low-road choices, and our high-minded pride. We’ve been found guilty. We sit on the floor of the dusty cell. Our executioner’s footsteps echo against stone walls. We know what he’s going to say. “Time to pay for your sins.”

But we hear something else. “You’re free to go. They took Jesus instead of you.” The door swings open and the guard barks, “Get out.” We find ourselves in the light of the morning sun, shackles gone, crimes pardoned, wondering– what just happened? Grace happened!
--God is With You Everyday/ML~-/Broken Vessels (Amazing Grace) Hillsong~
<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LLIJxrJoWOk>
-----

--IMAGINE A PERFECT WORLD~~

Try this. Imagine a perfect world. Whatever that means to you…imagine it. Does that mean peace? Then envision absolute tranquility. Does a perfect world imply joy? Then create your highest happiness. Will a perfect world have love? Ponder a place where love has no bounds. Whatever heaven means to you, imagine it.

Get it firmly fixed in your mind. Delight in it. Dream about it. Long for it. And then smile as the Father reminds you from the apostle Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians 2:9, “No one has ever imagined what God has prepared for those who love him.” No one has come close. No one. Think of all the songs about heaven. All the artists’ portrayals. All the lessons preached, poems written and chapters drafted. When it comes to describing heaven, we are all happy failures!

--From/ Lucado Inspirational Reader--'I Can Only Imagine' / MercyMe / London Symphony Orchestra ~
<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K_OB7d-B1Vw>
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--ENEMY LOVE~~

"If you love those who
love you, what credit
is that to you?"
--(Luke 6:32)~

-WHEN war broke out in 1950, fifteen-year-old Kim Chin-Kyung joined the South Korean army to defend his homeland. He soon found, however, that he wasn't ready for the horrors of combat. As young friends died around him, he begged God for his life and promised that, if allowed to live, he would learn to love his enemies.

Sixty-five years later, Dr. Kim reflected on that answered prayer. Through decades of caring for orphans and assisting in the education of North Korean and Chinese young people, he has won many friends among those he once regarded as enemies. Today he shuns political labels. Instead he calls himself a 'loveist' as an expression of his faith in Jesus.

The prophet Jonah left a different kind of legacy. Even a dramatic rescue from the belly of a big fish didn't transform his heart. Although he eventually obeyed God, Jonah said he'd rather die than watch the Lord show mercy to his enemies (JONAH 4:1-2,8).

We can only guess as to whether Jonah ever learned to care for the people of Nineveh. Instead we are left to wonder about ourselves. Will we settle for his attitude toward those we fear and hate? Or will we ask God for the ability to love our enemies as He has shown mercy to us?~

---LOVE CONQUERS ALL~~ GOD IS LOVE! [1 John 4:7-8]
-ODB/MD --/ 'One Step Away' - Casting Crowns~
<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-RegM50FzFc>
---------

--BEARING THE CROSS~~

-“And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple.”
-----(Luke 14:27)

Bearing one’s Cross means something quite different from bearing the ordinary burdens and troubles of life. These are common to all men, but the privilege of taking up and carrying the Cross is the unique responsibility and privilege only of Christians, for it identifies them in a distinctive way with Christ.

The Cross speaks of death by crucifixion, not just troubles, and not even any other type of death—only the death of the Cross. There are at least five other references in the Gospels challenging each true Christian to take up his Cross and, like Christ, carry it to the place of execution (Matthew 10:38; 16:24; Mark 8:34; 10:21; Luke 9:23).

That is, the Christian is to be willing, like his Lord, to give his life, if need be, for the sake of the salvation of the lost. This is not a one-time act of dedication but a daily walk. “If any man will come after me,” Jesus said, “let him deny himself, and take up his Cross daily, and follow me” (Luke 9:23).

There have been many Christian martyrs, of course, who have actually been slain—some even crucified—for the sake of Christ and the Gospel. For most, however, bearing the Cross means dying to self and one’s personal desires in order to live unreservedly for the Lord and His mission.

-The apostle Paul expressed it perfectly when he said, “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.” Therefore, we should be able to say with Paul, “God forbid that I should glory, save in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world” (Galatians 2:20; 6:14).
--ICR/HMM --/ I SEE THE CROSS / Brian Doerksen ~~
<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K41UdUGlgpY>
------

------

---A CONQUERING VICTOR~~~

--"Now it came to pass, when the time had come for Him to be received up, that He steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem."
—---Please Read/ Luke 9:51

--It offends me when movies about the life of Christ present Him as losing control, almost as though everything was going great until one of His disciples betrayed Him, and He was taken against His will and crucified.

This was always the plan of God from the very beginning. Jesus spoke of it frequently. He would tell His disciples, in effect, “Guys, listen to what I’m saying. I am going to be betrayed. I am going to be crucified. And I am going to rise again on the third day.” Somehow this went right over their heads. They just didn’t get it.

Jesus did not go into Jerusalem as a helpless victim; He went as a conquering victor in full control of the circumstances. And here is the amazing thing: He knew what was ahead.

I think all of us, at one time or another, have wished we could have known what the future was. We’ve thought, “If I would have known this, I would have never done that.” But there are times when I’m glad I don’t know what is ahead. Sometimes ignorance is bliss.

-Jesus knew everything. That is why, in the Garden of Gethsemane, the Bible says He sweat, as it were, great drops of blood and said, “Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done” (Luke 22:42).

So the Bible says He “steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem” (Luke 9:51). He would let nothing or no one stop Him from His course.

--Why? He knew there was no other way we could be forgiven of our sins. He knew there was no other way we could come into a relationship with Him. So He went to the Cross for you and me.
--IN TOUCH~~
-['For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.' (Romans 1:16)-NASB~]
--IT IS WELL WITH MY SOUL~~Sovereign Grace Music~https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AHe_qmo3gX4
--------

--WHAT IT MEANS TO LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR~~

--"There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus."
--(Galatians 3:28)

There was a church back in the Jesus movement of the ’70s that was growing among many of the young street kids of the neighborhood. They had long hair, were dirty, and never really wore shoes. But they were just flocking to the church.

One day, the church decided to put some new baby blue carpeting in their sanctuary. And the first time those kids came in, they tracked dirt all over that brand new carpet. The building committee was furious, and demanded a sign be put up in the foyer that said, “No dirty feet allowed.”

The next Sunday, the chairman of that committee walked into the building for the Sunday service. He was shocked to see the sign had been taken down and the pastor of the church was on his knees with a bowl of water and a towel washing those kids’ feet right there in the foyer.

What does it really mean to love your neighbor? It doesn’t just mean accepting those who live near you and look like you. No, it’s receiving people into the body of Christ who look, act, and think differently from you with open arms. Don’t let your church become a country club. Let it be a place where people from all walks of life are welcomed to partake in the grace of God!

LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR BY WELCOMING PEOPLE OF ALL BACKGROUNDS INTO FELLOWSHIP WITH THE BODY OF CHRIST!
--PP/JG~~
[We love Jesus because He first loved us. "This is my commandment, that you love one another even as I have loved you."]

---A REASON TO SING! ~~

'Sing praises to God,
sing praises; sing
praises to our King,
sing praises.'~~
-(PSALM 47:6) ~

--SINGING CHANGES THE BRAIN! Some studies show that when we sing, our bodies release hormones that relieve anxiety and stress. Other research indicates that when a group of people sings together, their heartbeats actually synchronize with each other.

The apostle Paul's writing encourages the church to speak to one another with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs (EPH. 5:19). And the Bible repeats, "Sing praise" more than fifty times.

In 2 Chronicles 20, we read a story of God's people demonstrating their trust in God by singing as they marched into battle. Enemies were heading toward the people of Judah. Alarmed, King Jehoshaphat called everyone together. He led the community in intense prayer. They didn't eat or drink, but only prayed, "We don't know what to do, but our eyes are on You" (V.12). The next day, they set out. They weren't led by their fiercest warriors, but by their choir. They believed God's promise that they would be delivered without having to fight at all (V.17).

While they sang and walked toward the conflict, their enemies fought each other! By the time God's people reached the battlefield, the fighting had ended. God saved His people as they marched by faith toward the unknown, singing His praises.

God encourages us to praise Him for good reasons. Whether or not we are marching into battle, praising God has power to change our thoughts, our hearts, and our lives.~~
-'PRAISE STILLS THE ENEMY!'

--HEARTS IN TUNE WITH GOD SING HIS PRAISES. GO AHEAD, GIVE OUR CREATOR ALL THE GLORY, HONOR AND PRAISE DUE HIM!~~

--ODB/AP~~--/'SHOUT TO THE LORD'/ Darlene Zschechhttps://<www.youtube.com/watch?v=mCvgvMptc9g>
-------

---LIFE--LIGHT--LOVE-

“All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.”
-----(John 1:3-5)--

The apostle John, designated as “the other disciple, whom Jesus loved” (John 20:2), used the concept of 'agape' love more than any other New Testament writer, even teaching that “God is love” (1 John 4:8). Likewise, John tells us that “God is light, and in him is no darkness at all” (1 John 1:5), and he uses the concept of light ('phos') more than any other writer.

In just the same way he uses the primary word for life ('zoe') more than any other writer and discusses “that which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life” (1 John 1:1), identifying Christ as life and the Fountain of life.

Christ, of course, has existed “from the beginning” and is the Creator of physical life on Earth (Colossians 1:16; Acts 17:28). But in a special way, He is “the life” (John 14:6), and, as we see in our text, “in him was life,” denoting salvation and eternal life based on His own atonement for sin.

Concerning light, Christ not only created physical light (Genesis 1:3) and later light sources (Genesis 1:14), but He is light, referring to revelation of the things of God to men, for His “life was the light of men.”

But most of all, “God is love.” The first time John mentions agape love, we are told that “God so loved the world” and that His free and undeserved love drove Him to give “his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). “Herein is love . . . that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins” (1 John 4:10).
--ICR/JDM~~
[ Please be sure you are saved. Jesus could come anytime. (Matthew 24:42) "Be ye always ready for no one knows the day or hour the Son of God will return." / "There is no other Name given unto men whereby we must be saved." (ACTS 4:12) ~~ /'Casting Crowns' -- / "WHO AM I?" ~~ <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C53GgUJ6y-Y>
-------------

---THE STORMS OF LIFE~~

-"My sheep hear My voice, and I know them,
and they follow Me. I give them eternal life,
and they will never perish, and no one will
snatch them out of My hand." ~~
--(John 10:27-28)--

---THE STORM passed, so the family went out for a bicycle ride in the countryside. A mile after passing a flock of sheep, the children noticed a lamb wandering by itself. The father who was also a Pastor put the lamb on his shoulders and carried it back to the flock, where it was accepted back into the fold.

Often, the storms of life separate us from those we love, tear us down, pummel us to the ground, and defeat us because we are sinners and live in a sinful, fallen world.

The Lord protects His believers. He protects us from present dangers of sin around us and in us. No one will snatch us from the Lord. We are His. Jesus is our Shepherd, (please read Psalm 23). He died and rose on high so that all who believe will remain His and live under Him in this world and the next.

The Lord gives us eternal life, and no one can take it from us. We are forgiven, redeemed, and kept in the one true faith until life everlasting. He sets us free to serve Him and live our lives to His glory and honor. The Lord has promised to never leave us nor forsake us. Have you asked Jesus to be your Lord and Savior? He is calling out to all people. "Come unto Me all who are weak and heavy laden and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn of Me. You will find rest for your souls." "Whom the Son sets free is free indeed." There is no peace in this fallen world. Jesus is the Prince of peace. Come to Him.

You can say a prayer something like this, "Lord, I know I am a sinner in need of You, my Savior. Please forgive me of all my sins and take control of my life. With Your help, I will try to live for you. Thank You, Jesus. I know that You are enough for me. Lead, guide and direct my steps, Lord. Apart from You, I can do nothing. I praise You and bless Your holy Name, Jesus Christ. Amen~"
[**If you have questions or want to talk to someone about what it means to follow Jesus Christ, visit SeekLife.net ]

---Portals of Prayer~~--"Always Enough" / Casting Crowns~~ --<https://youtu.be/PnmBmXPFPEk>
~~~~~~~~~~~

---RETURN TO THE LORD YOUR GOD ~~

--"Return to the LORD your God,
for He is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger, and abounding in
steadfast love; and He relents
over disaster." -(Joel 2:13)

---IN ONE day, we made a twelve-hour round trip, returning to the point where we started. We wandered off course during the day but soon returned to the designated route. God was gracious and kept us safe and sound. However, not all wandering off has such a happy ending.

Some of those who wander off end up in great danger, terrible struggle, and even death. This is why we should never take our spiritual wandering--our sin--lightly. It can end up causing us to be pierced with many troubles, hampered in our sanctification, or even death.

Why do people get lost? It's because they believe in the wrong thing. They don't read the map, or they don't follow its directions.

When God says, "Return to Me with all your heart" (Joel 2:12), He is inviting us to take refuge in Him when we have wandered. Then remain in His grace! His forgiveness and protection is the only way that we will finally be safe and sound eternally. ~~

"Lord G-D, we thank You and give You praise for Your grace, mercy, and love extended to all who believe through the power of the Holy Spirit in the salvation wrought by Jesus Christ. We praise You and bless Your Holy Name, Jehovah Yahweh, YHWH. amen~ [Our loving Covenant keeping G-D~]
--PORTALS OF PRAYER~ -[A new song by Casting Crowns featuring Matthew West. Hope you can see the Video. No words on screen. Turn up your speakers! Really Cool~ ] [I'm just a nobody trying to tell everybody all about Somebody who saved my soul. Nobody but JESUS!]

---"NOBODY" Casting Crowns / [Feat. Matthew West] <https://youtu.be/1yBzIt_z8oY>
~~~~~~~~~~

----FIGHT THE GOOD FIGHT!

---"Fight the good fight of faith." (1 Timothy 6:12) --

--Paul's encouragement to be faithful in the living out of our days initially seems simple. If we pause for a moment to consider what it truly means, however, it suddenly becomes a much more difficult task. Fighting the good fight is by no means easy. Without the strength of Jehovah G-D gives, it is impossible.

Temptations abound in our lives. Sin is constantly present. We each have temptations, some of which are easy to resist and avoid. However, far greater in number are those that are not easy to resist. We know them well. The temptations we hate and yet welcome frequently. The temptations to which we give in regularly. How, then, can we possibly fight the good fight? We will never be successful.

Christ has fought the fight, and He has won! He resisted all temptation. He was faithful and did not sin. He paid the price for our sinful failure. He removed our sin and is our strength in our battles. Only in Christ are we able to fight the good fight!

We struggle and fight against sin and temptation. In our sin, we still fail. When we fail, however, we take refuge in Christ, repent of our sin, and receive forgiveness. His Holy Spirit strengthens us in the midst of our struggles. Christ is steadfast and faithful. He has won the Victory for us. In Christ, the battle is over. Jesus paid our sin debt by dying on the Cross. Give Him PRAISE! ~

--The Lord has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you. We can confidently say, "The Lord is my Helper, I will not be afraid. What will man will do to me?" [Hebrews 13 verses 5-6]
--"He Won't Leave You There"/ Jason Crabb~ <https://youtu.be/WStdYWcfzno>
-----

--Friend,

~~ You have had a hard life. Things didn't seem to work out right. You gave your life to Jesus, thinking that would make all things better. But, you see, we are called to be in a race. We are all travelers on the Earth. Yes, Jesus has paid our sin-debt by dying on the Cross for us. He never said it would be easy down here. In fact, He said, "You will be hated by all men for My name sake." Most people don't want to hear the truth. They don't want to be told, "You're living wrong." Jesus came to set you free.
"If you continue in my word, then you are truly disciples of Mine: And you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free." [Jesus said]--(John 8:31-32)
-------

Many have asked, "How can you call, 'free', someone who must follow rules and what somebody else says. The world has been cursed by sin. We are all slaves to sin until we invite Jesus into our lives, and He sets us free. "Whom the Son sets free is free indeed." When we give our lives to Jesus, He will lead, guide, and direct our steps, as we read His Word, the Holy Bible. Jesus said, "Search the scriptures for in them you will find eternal life. (John 5:39) JESUS IS ETERNAL LIFE!
There is no other religion that has a G-D that is alive right now. JESUS IS ALIVE! We don't follow a religion. Friend, we follow a Person, Jesus Christ! He came out of that grave and was victorious over death. He did that for you, and for me. All we must do is follow Him. He sets the standard. He is our Creator.

We all will stand before the 'Judgment Seat of Christ', when He returns one day, (prayerfully, it will be soon). Please read Matthew Chapter 25 verses 31-46. Jesus is telling us here what will take place at the 'Judgment Seat of Christ.' We are to help each other, as Christ continues to help us. Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." --(John 14:6).

Please give your life to Christ Jesus. He will help you live on Earth until He returns. Read the Holy Bible, Jesus's words are sometimes in red. My preferences are New American Standard Bible (NASB), or New King James Bible (NKJV). I have also read King James Version, and others. Be careful, some are re-writing Bibles today, and adding words and deleting things to suit their own taste.

Jesus said (through Apostle John), "The Spirit and the bride say, "Come." And let the one who hears say, "Come." And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who wishes take the water of life without cost. I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book; if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues which are written in this book; and if anyone takes away form the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his part from the tree of life and from the Holy City, which is written in this book" (Revelation 22:18-19).
"He who testifies to these things says, "Yes, I am coming quickly." Amen. Come, Lord Jesus. The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all. Amen."
(Revelation 22:20a -21 ) ---/"Well Done"/ The Afters / <https://youtu.be/-mLLz4LOfIo>
------------

---LIVING SACRIFICES ~~

--"Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.
"And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect"
---(Romans 12:1-2 /NASB)--

---The idea of self-sacrifice runs contrary to the values of our culture. Subtle and not-so-subtle messages continually tell us to put ourselves first, demand our rights, and determine our own path. But God calls His people to lay themselves down on an altar as living sacrifices. In other words, we are to be separated from the world and given to the Lord for His purposes.

Considering all that God has done for us in Christ, our response should be deliberate and voluntary submission. We give ourselves and the control of our life unreservedly to the One who has showered us with compassion and mercy by saving our soul from the grip of sin. Wherever He sends us, we go; whatever He requires of us, we do; and whatever He wants, we desire as well.

This is not a one-time decision that forever sets the course of our life; rather, it’s a daily surrender to His will. At each moment, we have the option to grumble about our situation or to acknowledge God’s right to be in charge.

As believers, we’re wise to remember that there is no better choice than to wholeheartedly trust our God, who has infinite knowledge, unfailing love, and almighty power. To rely on our limited understanding, self-interest, and human weakness will result in rebellion and its difficult consequences.

To become a living sacrifice to the Lord is not only a duty but also a privilege. When we fully surrender to Him, He will transform us into the image of His Son Jesus, use us to further His kingdom, and bless our life with the fruit of the Holy Spirit.

--IN TOUCH~ [Have you been redeemed? "If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation [redeemed].
Whoever will call on the Name of the Lord will be saved." --[Romans 10:9,10,13]-Redeemed--Big Daddy Weave =<https://youtu.be/Rg6Yz8lSEY8>
------------

~~~CONTINUAL DELIVERANCE~~

---"He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us…"
---(2 Corinthians 1:10 / NIV)--

~~~Paul was perhaps the greatest advocate for Jesus that the world will ever know. He worked without the advantages of modern travel or communication, and his influence is still felt two thousand years after his death. But Paul suffered extreme hardship, even as he followed the path that the Lord had set for him.

---This verse intrigues me because he says that “He delivered us” three times in three different verb forms. God has delivered us: past tense. It’s punctiliar; it happened at a particular point in time. God will deliver us: future tense. We know He’s a Deliverer, and He will deliver us if we need it again. Then the perfect tense: God is going to continue to deliver us. So what did Paul want the Corinthians to know about God as a Deliverer? “He did deliver us, He will deliver us, and He is in fact delivering me as I write these words.” Our God, who never changes, is just as faithful to deliver us today.

THINK ABOUT IT
~~Knowing God’s deliverance is still available to you today can thwart anxiety and give you peace. Consider memorizing the above verse as encouragement for yourself and defense against the adversary.

PRAYER
**Heavenly Father, You are a God who still delivers, giving me hope for today and tomorrow. Thank You for Your peace that comes and guards me as I trust You to deliver me again. You remain faithful forever, and I am secure in You. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Blessings,
Pastor Allen Jackson
["So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed." ~~JOHN 8:36]--"Our God Is Greater"// Chris Tomlin//<https://youtu.be/p-6YdT1DEO8>
~~~~~~~~~

~~YES! JESUS CAME TO SET US FREE!

---DEATH ROW JOY~~

"Though you do not
see him now, you
believe in him and
are filled with an
inexpressible and
glorious joy." -(1 Peter 1:8)--

~~~In 1985 Anthony Ray Hinton was charged with the murders of two restaurant managers. It was a set up-- he'd been miles away when the crimes happened--but he was found guilty and sentenced to death. At the trial, Ray forgave those who lied about him, adding that he still had joy despite this injustice. "After my death, I'm going to heaven," he said. "Where are you going?"

Life on death row was hard for Ray. Prison lights flickered whenever the electric chair was used for others, a grim reminder of what lay ahead. Ray passed a lie detector test but the results were ignored, one of many injustices he faced getting his case reheard.

Finally, on Good Friday 2015, Ray's conviction was overturned by the US Supreme Court. He'd been on death row for nearly thirty years. His life is a testament to the reality of God. Because of his faith in Jesus, Ray had a hope beyond his trials (1 Peter 1:3-5) and experienced supernatural joy in the face of injustice (v.8). "This joy that I have," Ray said after his release, "they couldn't ever take that away in prison." Such joy proved his faith to be genuine (vv. 7-8).

Death row joy? That's hard to fabricate. It points us to a God who exists even though He's unseen and who's ready to sustain us in our own ordeals. Jesus is our Redeemer. He's our Prophet, Priest and King. Give Him praise! Jesus desires to see us praise Him in our trials and tribulations. He is Sovereign King! ~~

--"God of all hope, fill us with Your joy and peace as we trust in You despite our circumstances. We love You, our Savior, Redeemer, and King above all kings! amen"
--[Please Read Psalm 150 and PRAISE HIM!}
--ODB/SV --"Praise Him, Praise Him"/ Tommy Walker Ministries // --<https://youtu.be/nyxy3bYVnN4>
~~~~~~~~~~

--JESUS CAME TO SET US FREE!

---OPPORTUNITY / AMAZED!

--'Jesus said, "Peace I leave with you."
--(John 14:27 / NIV)

~~In John 14, Jesus said that He came to give us peace. He knew the imperfections in our world, and He knew that we could never handle them on our own. He also knew that every day each one of us will face something that will require His help. That's why Jesus said that the peace He gives us is not like what the world tries to give. The world's peace is superficial. Although it may suppress our problems for a moment, it's not lasting.

So today the choice is ours. What will we do the next time a problem arises? Will we dwell on the problem? Or will we make a conscious choice to turn it over to God?

Jesus is the Prince of Peace. Let's be sure to trust him with all our cares, worries and concerns. We will always be amazed at how He meets us in our most difficult situations. Trust Him with all of your heart. [Proverbs 3: verses 5-6] ~~

--Upper Room/DL~--"Amazed"/ Phillips, Craig, and Dean//<https://youtu.be/D9S86nMqaLg>
~~~~~

----OUR REDEEMER and CREATOR ~~

--ISAIAH 43 [selected verses]
------
"But now, thus says the LORD, your Creator, O Jacob,
And He who formed you, O Israel,

"Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;
I have called you by name;
You are Mine!

"When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
And through the rivers, they will not overflow you.
When you walk through the fire, you will not be scorched.
Nor will the flame burn you.

"For I am the LORD your God,
The Holy One of Israel, your Savior.

"Do not fear, for I am with you;
"Everyone who is called by My name,
And whom I have created for My glory,
Whom I have formed, even whom I have made."
--
---
--"Oceans (Where Feet May Fail) // Hillsong United ~~<https://youtu.be/xoZE2RsthRg>
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

--STANDING FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS ~~

--"Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people"
---(Proverbs 14:34 / NIV)--

~~~When the author of Proverbs says that righteousness exalts a nation, I believe it. Righteousness means a right standing with God, so a right standing with God will elevate a people. If we want to see our nation exalted and our future secured, it will have more to do with our standing with God than it will our economy, our military, our political leaders, our academic institutions, or any number of things that we focus our attention on. That puts the Church right in the center of the future of our nation, because righteousness will not come from the ungodly.

They [ungodly] are not concerned with the principles of God because they have no imagination of a right standing with God. That doesn’t mean that our nation must be an entirely Christian one. However, our nation has in its history a unique commitment to the God of the Bible, and that commitment is what we need to regain. Are you willing to stand for God’s righteousness in your family, workplace, and community?

THINK ABOUT IT
A willingness to stand for God’s righteousness at home and publicly will require courage inspired by fear and reverence of the Lord. His Holy Spirit is ready to help you, if you will ask Him.

PRAYER
~~~"Heavenly Father, deliver me from deception, and grant me the courage and willingness to stand for Your truth. May Your grace strengthen me and guard my heart, so that I might reflect Your character and honor You in everything I do and say. Yes, Lord, my confidence is found in You. In Jesus’ name, amen."

Blessings,
Pastor Allen Jackson
---["Confident"//Steffany Gretzinger (feat Bobby Strand)/ lyric video]-<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cvLWBB6hgJk>
~~~~~~~~~~~

--Jesus Always Shows Compassion~~

~~"When the Lord saw her, He felt compassion for her, and said to her, "Do not weep" And He came up
and touched the coffin; and the bearers came to a halt, and He said, "Young man, I say to you, arise!"
~~~(LUKE 7:13-14)--

--Disillusioned and wanting a more meaningful life, Leon quit his job in finance. Then one day he saw a homeless man holding up this sign at a street corner: KINDNESS IS THE BEST MEDICINE. Leon says, "Those words rammed straight into me. It was an epiphany."

--Leon decided to begin his new life by creating an international organization to promote kindness. He travels around the world, relying on strangers to provide him with food, gas, and a place to stay. Then he rewards them through his organization, with good deeds such as feeding orphans or building on to a school for underprivileged children. He says, "It's sometimes seen as being soft. But kindness is a profound strength."

Christ's very essence as God is goodness, so kindness naturally flowed from Him. I love the story of what Jesus did when He came upon the funeral procession of a widow's only son (LUKE 7:11-17). The grieving woman most likely was dependent on her son for financial support. We don't read in the story that anyone asked Jesus to intervene. Purely from the goodness of His nature (v.13), He was concerned and brought her son back to life. The people said of Christ, "God has come to help his people" (v.16).

-We can always stand on God's Promises. He can not lie. Our Creator is always with us. What kindnesses does Jesus pour out on you? List them, then thank Him. He is always faithful. ~~
--ODB/AC~
--"I Will Stand On the Promises" // Chris and Abby Eaton // --<https://youtu.be/m2yTa1iXwGk>
~~~~~~~~~

--REDEMPTION'S HOPE~~

--"Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved."
---(ACTS 2:21) --

~~~The man seemed beyond redemption. His crimes included eight shootings (killing six) and starting nearly 1,500 fires that terrorized New York City in the 1970s. He left letters at his crime scenes taunting the police, and he was eventually apprehended and given consecutive sentences of twenty-five years to life for each murder.

Yet God reached down to this man. Today he is a believer in Christ who spends time daily in Scriptures, has expressed deep regret to his victims' families, and continues to pray for them. Although imprisoned for more than four decades, this man who seemed beyond redemption finds hope in God and claims, "My freedom is found in one word: JESUS."

Scriptures tells of another unlikely conversion. Before he met the risen Christ on the road to Damascus, Saul (who later became the apostle Paul) was "breathing out murderous threats against the Lord's disciples" (ACTS 9:1). Yet Paul's heart and life were transformed by Jesus (vv.17-18), and he became one of the most powerful witnesses for Him in history. The man who once plotted the death of Christians devoted his life to spreading the hope of the Gospel.

Redemption is always a miraculous work of God. Some stories are more dramatic, but the underlying truth remains the same: None of us deserve His forgiveness, yet Jesus is a powerful Savior! He "[saves] completely those who come to God through him" (Hebrews 7:25).

--"Dear Lord Jesus, thank You for loving us so much You died to bring us into a relationship with You. Help us to never be ashamed of You and Your Word. Thank You, our Rock and Redeemer. amen~"

--ODB/JB
--"Reckless Love" (live/ Melodie Malone/ **no words on screen-turn up you speakers**)<https://youtu.be/osNqRZiB7Ts>
~~~~~~~

--LIFE'S GREATEST GIFT ~~

--[Please Read/ JOHN 3:16-21] --

---EVERYONE LOVES PRESENTS, yet many people reject the greatest gift ever given. This gift is God's Son, and the term "only begotten" expresses His uniqueness. There has never been anyone else like Jesus, who is truly God and truly Human. He is the only One who lived a perfect life and died as a sinless sacrifice in the place of sinful humanity. Jesus is God-Man.

When God gave the gift of His Son, mankind had two options. They could either accept Jesus by faith or reject Him. This is the most important choice a person will ever make, because the outcome has eternal ramifications. God will one day judge the people He has created, and that Judgment will be on the basis of what they have done with the gift of His Son. Those who believe in the Savior will not be condemned, because they have received eternal life. However, John 3:18 says whoever doesn't believe has already been judged and condemned for unbelief.

The determining factor between the accepters [believers] and the rejecters [unbelievers]-- is the object of their love. Those who refuse God's Son love their sin and don't want to change. But believers come to Christ because they love the truth and desire righteousness. Which one are you? The Lord leaves the decision entirely up to each individual. We all have free-will. Please come to the Father through Jesus, His only begotten Son, and live eternally.
--IN TOUCH~

--"GOOD GOOD FATHER"/ (lyrics=Chris Tomlin) ==<https://youtu.be/06ZN4wC-ono>
~~~~~~~~~~

~~THE REALITY OF THE WRATH OF GOD~~
---[PTV/RJ~]

---"He who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him."
(–John 3:36) --

--Because every one of us is guilty before God, every one of us is deserving of the wrath of God. That is the starting place for answering the question: “What about people who have never heard the gospel?” The starting point is to realize they’re guilty. Every person is guilty before God, and therefore they are deserving of the wrath of the punishment of God.

Today, it’s very unpopular to talk about the wrath of God. People will applaud you if you talk about the love of God or even the justice of God, but nobody wants to hear about the wrath of God. It’s politically incorrect to talk about the wrath, the punishment of God. That sounds like something from the Victorian era or the Puritan era. It just doesn’t seem relevant today.

--A few years ago, the Presbyterian Church (USA) decided to drop from its hymnal a very popular song, “In Christ Alone” by Keith Getty and Stuart Townend. And they were upset because the lyrics said, “On that cross, as Jesus died, the wrath of God was satisfied.” The denomination thought, “That’s too severe. We don’t want to talk about the wrath of God being satisfied by the blood of Jesus Christ.” So they told the songwriters to replace the lyrics with these words: “On that cross, as Jesus died, the love of God was magnified.” Not that the wrath of God was satisfied, but that the love of God was magnified. Fortunately, the songwriters were more interested in theological correctness than political correctness, and they refused that request.

People don’t want to hear about it, yet the wrath of God is a reality. If you do a study in the concordance, you will find that the wrath of God or the anger of God is mentioned far more than the love of God. Both are true about God, but you can’t strip one attribute away from God just because you don’t like it. Throughout Scripture, you see the Bible talking about the wrath, the anger of God. For example, in John 3:16, Jesus uttered what became the most popular verse of the New Testament: “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son.” But did you know in that very same chapter Jesus also said, “He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him” (v. 36)? Or Romans 1:18: “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness.” Or Romans 3:5: “But if our unrighteousness demonstrates the righteousness of God, what shall we say? The God who inflicts wrath is not unrighteous, is He?” Or Ephesians 5:6: “Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.”
~~~
--[**Friend, "Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sin." -[Hebrews 9:22b/ NASB] // Jesus died an extremely painful death on the Cross to pay your and my sin debt. He never sinned. If you have not accepted His gift of salvation, do so today. He could come at any time. You may not have tomorrow to decide. None us are promised tomorrow.
"If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; For with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. Whoever calls on the Name of the Lord will be saved" [Romans 10:9,10,13]. ]
--"IN CHRIST ALONE" // (lyric video) Travis Cottrell <https://youtu.be/-RecJ79t4Oo>
~~~~~~~~~

--A TRUSTWORTHY RESPONSE / LIVING FOR ETERNITY ~~

~~"Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst."
---(1 Timothy 1:15/ NIV) -

~~Here’s a response in case you ever hear someone say, “God’s never done anything for me!” First, point them to Christmas, a remarkable demonstration of God’s extravagant provision for our lives. When you look at the story of the relationship between God and Adam and his descendants, we have consistently been a rebellious and uncooperative lot. Yet God chose to become one of us, to change our futures for time and eternity. That’s what Jesus’ coming to the earth is all about. It’s an expression of God’s generosity.

**Then, point them to Easter, another remarkable demonstration of God’s love for us. It was on the cross that Jesus exhausted the curse that we deserve for our rebellion, so that we might receive all the blessings that were due Him for His perfect obedience. He rose from the dead and was seen by many witnesses before He ascended to Heaven. He has promised that we will live with Him there for eternity. What has God done for us? That is what He has done for us!

THINK ABOUT IT
Don’t lose sight of the victories God provided for you, or the comfort He brought during a difficult season. Those testimonies will give you courage to trust His provision for the next step.

PRAYER
--"Heavenly Father, You have done great things for me! Thank You for sending Jesus to share our flesh and blood, to die for us, pay sin’s penalty, and defeat death. Thank You for raising Him to life to redeem us for eternity. I will ever praise You! In Jesus’ name, amen."
Blessings,
Pastor Allen Jackson
~~~~~~~~~~~

--'SPEAK UP! SHARE THE LOVE OF JESUS'~~

--"Pray...that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim
the mystery of Christ." --[Colossians 4:3] --

~~Brittany exclaimed to her coworker at the restaurant, "There's that man! There's that man!" She was referring to Melvin, who first encountered her under different circumstances. While he was tending to the lawn of his church, the Holy Spirit prompted him to start a conversation with a woman who appeared to be a prostitute. Her reply when he invited her to church was: "Do you know what I do? They wouldn't want me in there." As Melvin told her about the love of Jesus and assured her of His power to change her life, tears streamed down her face. Now, some weeks later, Brittany was working in a new environment, living proof of the power of Jesus to change lives.

In the context of encouraging believers to be devoted to prayer, the apostle Paul made a twofold request: "Pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should" (Colossians 4:3-4).

Have you prayed for opportunities to speak boldly and clearly for Jesus? What a fitting prayer! Such prayers can lead believers, like Melvin, to speak about Him in unexpected places and to unexpected people. Speaking up for Jesus can seem uncomfortable, but the rewards--changed lives--have a way of compensating for our discomforts. Let's help spread the Living Word of our Lord Jesus Christ. "Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am foremost of all" [1 Timothy 1:15]. ~~

"Lord Jesus, help me to see opportunities and step through the doors You open to speak boldly and clearly about You. Open hearts, through the power of the Holy Spirit, for You to receive glory, Jesus! amen~

--ODB/AJ~
--" Who Am I? (lyrics) //Casting Crowns//<https://youtu.be/F9hetEFcjGM>
~~~~~~~~

----ONLY REASON TO BOAST // HAVE MERCY ON ME, LORD JESUS ~

---"I, John, your brother and companion in the suffering and kingdom and patient endurance that are ours in Jesus, was on the island of Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus."
---(Revelation 1:9 / NIV)

--"O my God, lean down and listen to me. Open your eyes and see my despair. ... I make this plea, not because I deserve help, but because of your mercy. O Lord, hear. O lord, forgive. O Lord, listen and act!"
---(Daniel 9:18-19) --

---John was the only one left of the original apostles. We don’t have a record in Scripture, but history and Church tradition says that the other apostles had been martyred. John, who had a close relationship with Jesus, had watched Him walk on water and call Lazarus out of the tomb. He had stood at the foot of the cross and received an assignment to care for Mary. He had every reason to think that he was spiritually superior to other believers, but he humbly identified himself as “your brother and companion.” This is a reminder to all of us that there is no room for pride in the hearts and minds of God’s people. What we say, what we do, and the example we set as Jesus-followers are all intended to give the people around us and those who follow us a better opportunity to know the Lord. Our only reason to boast is in “the Word of God and the testimony of Jesus.”

THINK ABOUT IT
--Pride is a spiritually destructive sin that controls behaviors and determines outcomes. Humbly focusing on God—His Word and desires—will help us guard our hearts and minds, training them for His purposes.

PRAYER
--"Heavenly Father, forgive me for when I have claimed bragging rights to anything but You, Your Word, and the finished work of the Cross. May the testimony of Jesus and all He accomplished through His sacrifice be my only pride and joy. His name, I pray. Amen."
Blessings,
Pastor Allen Jackson

--GOD WITH ME / GOD WITH US ~~

--"A virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call His name Immanuel."
--(ISAIAH 7:14) --

--APPROXIMATELY seven hundred years after the verse above was written, Jesus was born to Mary. His birth came at a time when spiritual darkness covered the land of Israel because the Jewish people had all but forsaken the ways of God (Matthew 4:16). The temple had become a market place, and people offered sacrifices more out of obligation than to worship and obey God.

Likewise, the interpretation of today's verse above carried a similar darkness. People believed the coming Messiah would bring a military revolution and eradication of Roman rule. However, as we know, Jesus came for a totally different purpose. He came to reestablish the intimacy with God humanity lost in the garden of Eden--to be "God with us" (Matthew 1:23).

The main message of Christmas is that God wants more for you than simply making your earthly life more bearable. He gives you His light, His life, and His freedom--He gives you Himself!

So today, stop seeking things from the Lord and enjoy the true Gift, the greatest Gift: Immanuel--God with you (God with us). Think about all that really means and praise Him for His grace.

--IN TOUCH/CS ~
--"GOOD GOOD FATHER" // (lyric video) // Chris Tomlin ~~https://youtu.be/06ZN4wC-ono
~~~~~~~~
-'Jesus said, "I and my Father are One." -[John 10:30] // They are inseparable~
--

--WHO IS THIS JESUS?

--"Who do you say that I am?"
--(Matthew 16:15) --

--Do you truly know who Jesus is? Is He more to you than a baby born in Bethlehem? More than just some religious leader in whom you're supposed to believe? Is He your life, your hope, your future?

We can go to church and sing songs about Jesus, but never actually honor Him. We can miss the joy and reverence of relating to Him personally and intimately. So I don't know of a better time to search our hearts than at Christmas.

We know the facts: Jesus was born to Mary and Joseph in Bethlehem and raised in the obscure village of Nazareth. We may even realize the impact of His live. His birth is the event that divides time into BC and AD. He didn't travel far from home, yet He has influenced the entire world. Satan couldn't tempt Him, death couldn't destroy Him, and the grave couldn't keep Him. He is the living God--and we can know Him because He sacrificially gives Himself to us (Philippians 2:5-11).

But do you really honor Him in the way He deserves? He's certainly worthy of all that you are. So this Christmas, really think about who He is and give Him the gift that truly represents what He means to you. ~~ JESUS IS LORD! JESUS IS GOD! JESUS IS SAVIOR!~

--"Jesus, I want to truly honor You and give my life as a gift to You. Help me to live for You and to never be ashamed to tell others about your sacrificial love for all who will call on Your Name. Thank You, Lord. amen~"

--IN TOUCH~
--"This I Believe" // (The Creed) lyrics)// Hillsong ~<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h0mPk_3dXSg>
~~~~~~~

~~~OUT OF BREATH / OBEY THE LORD AND BE FREE

~~~"Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God."
~~~[Deuteronomy 5:13-14]

---"So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed."
-----[John 8:36] --

~~~There’s a home-improvement store near me that has a big green button in one of its departments. If no assistant is present, you push the button, which starts a timer. If you’re not served within a minute, you get a discount on your purchase.

We like being the customer in this scenario who enjoys the speedy service. But the demand for fast service often takes a toll when we’re the one expected to deliver it. So many of us today feel rushed doing our jobs, working long hours, checking email multiple times a day, and feeling pressured to meet tighter and tighter deadlines. The customer service tactics of the home-improvement store have seeped into all our lives, creating a culture of rush.

When God told the Israelites to keep a Sabbath, He added an important reason: “Remember that you were slaves in Egypt” (Deuteronomy 5:15). There they’d been forced to work ceaselessly under Pharaoh’s excessive time constraints (Exodus 5:6-9). Now freed, they were to give themselves a whole day each week to ensure they and those who served them could rest (Deuteronomy 5:14). Under God’s rule, there were to be no flush-faced, out-of-breath people.

How often do you work to the point of exhaustion or get impatient with people who keep you waiting? Let’s give ourselves and each other a break. A culture of rush is Pharaoh’s doing, not God’s.~~~

"LORD G-D of the Sabbath, thank You for commanding me to rest so I can be whole. Help me, Lord to know my limit in order to be available for Your use. amen"

--ODB/SV~

--GOD'S STORY BOOK ~~

"God blessed them....God saw all that he made, and it was very good."
---[Genesis 1:28,31] --

---Wanting to enjoy the beautiful day, I headed out for a walk and soon met a new neighbor. He stopped me and introduced himself: "My name is Genesis, and I'm six and a half years old."

"Genesis is a great name! It's a book in the Bible, " I replied.
"What's the Bible?" he asked.

It's God's storybook about how He made made the world and people and how He loves us."

His inquisitive response made me smile? "Why did He make the world and people and cars and houses? And is my picture in His book?"

While there isn't a literal picture of my new friend Genesis or the rest of us in the Scriptures, we're a big part of God;'s storybook. We see in Genesis 1 that "God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God He created them" (v.27). God walked with them in the garden, and then warned about giving in to the temptation to be their own god ( CH. 3). Later in His book, God told about how in love, His Son, Jesus, came to walk with us again and brought about a plan for our forgiveness and the restoration of His Creation.

As we look at the Bible, we learn that our Creator wants us to know Him, talk with Him, and even ask Him our questions. He cares for us more than we can imagine. ~

"Loving God, thank You for making me a part of Your story. May I love You and others as You love me. Help me, Lord, to learn to be in Your presence. In Jesus Name."

--ODB/AC~

--"In Your Presence" // Paul Wilbur (concert music) //<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g5MFhZLO73A>
~~~~~~~

--GRACE DELIVERED US FROM FEAR~~

--"You are saved by grace through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.
--[EPHESIANS 2:8-9]

--Jesus Christ paid our sin-debt once and for all by dying in our place on the Cross. [Hebrews 10:9-10]

God’s grace delivered us from fear, but how quickly we return. Grace told us we didn’t have to spend our lives looking over our shoulders, but look at us glancing backward. Look at us with guilt on our consciences.

Why are we so quick to revert back to our old ways? Or as Paul candidly wrote, “What a miserable man I am! Who will save me from this body that brings me death?” (Romans 7:24). Simply stated: we are helpless to battle sin alone. Aren’t we glad Paul answered his own question? “I thank God for saving me through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 7:25).

The same One who saved us first is there to save us still. Such is the message of grace. You are saved, not because of what you do, but because of what Christ did! And you are special because of whose you are. Jesus came and died a brutal death on the Cross to pay our sin-debt. Please accept this gift and live eternally. "Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sin." [Hebrews 10:9-10-15]]

--In The Grip of Grace/ML~~
~~~~~~

----THE COST ~~

--"When he had received the drink, Jesus said, "It is finished." With that he bowed his head and gave up his spirit."
---[JOHN 19:30] --

---Michelangelo's works explored many facets of the life of Jesus, yet one of the most poignant was also one of the most simple. In the 1540s he sketched a pieta (a picture of Jesus' mother holding the body of the deceased Christ) for his friend Vittoria Colonna. Done in chalk, the drawing depicts Mary looking to the heavens as she cradles her Son's still form. Rising behind Mary, the upright beam of the cross carries these words for Dante's Paradise, "There they don't think of how much blood it costs." Michelangelo's point was profound: when we contemplate the death of Jesus, we must consider the price He paid.

The price paid by Christ is captured in HIs dying declaration, "It is finished" (John 19:30). The term for "it is finished" ([i]tetelesta[i/i]) was used in several ways--to show a bill had been paid, a task finished, a sacrifice offered, a masterpiece completed. Each of them applies to what Jesus did on our behalf on the cross! Perhaps that's why the apostle Paul wrote, "May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world" (Galatians 6:14).

Jesus's willingness to take our place is the eternal evidence of how much God loves us. As we contemplate the price He paid, may we also celebrate His love--and give thanks for the Cross. ~~

--"Father, when I consider the sacrifice Jesus made on my behalf, I am humbled and deeply grateful. Thank You for Jesus, and thank You for the price He paid, the Cross. Thank You! I give you praise, honor and glory.~~ amen"

--ODB/BC~

--INTERRUPTED PLANS ~~ JESUS IS IN CONTROL

--"The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD:
and he delighteth in his way."
--[PSALM 37:23] --

-[Please Read Psalm 37:10-40]

--WE HAVE ALL HAD times when our well-prepared plans were disrupted, delayed, or altered. As a result of the recent coronavirus pandemic, the daily lives and routines of people around the world were suddenly interrupted. Anticipated public gatherings of all sorts--special meeting, family reunions, and even church services--were cancelled or postponed. Vacation plans, schedules, and agenda were upended.

Sometimes we can be very determined to carry out our plans and reach our goals. But our all-wise God overrules and intervenes in the affairs of men and nations to accomplish His sovereign purposes. We can be sure nothing takes God by surprise. He has perfect knowledge of all things past, present, and future. God is the ultimate controller and director over all His creation.

In Acts 16, Paul and Silas had decided to go to Bithynia, but God redirected their well-intended plan and sent them to Macedonia instead. While in that place, they were arrested and cast into prison. Paul and Silas may have wondered, "Why did this happen?" But their faith was in God, and they were heard praying and singing praises to Him. God intervened by sending an earth quake, loosing their chains, and opening the prison doors. Through these unexpected events, the jailor and his family were converted.

God's thoughts and His ways are infinitely higher than ours. Certainly it is prudent to plan ahead, but let us commit our plans to the Lord and allow Him to direct our steps in the way He sees best. He is faithful to direct the path of those who trust and acknowledge Him.

"Trust in the Lord with all of your heart and lean not unto your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight."

--"Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me away from Your presence. And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of Your salvation and sustain a right spirit within me." --[PSALM 51:10,11,12]

-"In Your Presence" // Paul Wilbur //<https://youtu.be/g5MFhZLO73A>
~~~~~~~~~

----ARE YOU COMING?

--Please Read: 2 Thessalonians 3 ~~

--"Because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example;
that we should follow his steps." [1 Peter 2:21] --

--A customer and I were chatting about our fathers. His father had passed into eternity a few years ago, and mine about fifteen years ago. He told me that he had a dream since his dad passed away. The two were walking together with Dad in the lead. Dad looked over his shoulder and asked, "Are you coming, Mike"" The customer wondered if the dream had a meaning.

My thoughts turned to 1 Corinthians 11:1: Be ye followers of me, even as I also am a follower of of Christ." If our parents are Christians, we have good examples to follow. Some of us may not have this blessings, but we have the Bible to pattern after. Parents and grandparents should see the great importance of leaving a legacy that is safe to follow. When the child grows, they can make the personal decision to follow Christ.

Our thought patterns are a good starting point. according to Philippians 4:8 we should think on whatsoever things are true, honest, pure lovely and of good report, we should "think on these things."

First Thessalonians 5:21 says, "Hold fast that which is good." When we or others make a mistake we repent and keep pressing on toward Jesus." [1 John 1:9].

We will pass this way only once, never to return for a second try. "Just one life twill soon be past only what's done for Christ will last."
Even if our past is rough and dark, let's take courage and keep going. Remember Philippians 4:13 "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me."
By God's grace we can give a positive answer to the question. Are you coming?"

--BE SURE YOU ARE READY!


--BSW/HZ~

--MISSED INVITATIONS / PLEASE DON'T MISS JESUS' INVITATION ~~

Matthew 23:37
“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing.”
---

If I could take you on a tour of Jerusalem, I’d begin on the Mount of Olives, looking across the Kidron Valley toward the Old City.
This is the “money shot” you see on the covers of travel guides, with the city sprawled before you and the gold dome of the Temple Mount dominating your view. About halfway down the Mount of Olives is a little chapel called Dominus Flevit, which commemorates the place where Jesus wept over the city of Jerusalem (Luke 19:41-44). He wept because the people didn’t recognize the invitation that God had put before them; and because they failed to recognize it, there would be significant negative consequences for them. It’s one of my favorite places in the city, and it always reminds me to say to the Lord, “I don’t want to miss Your invitations for me.”

THINK ABOUT IT
--Have there been times when you have missed the invitations the Lord has placed before you? What were the circumstances? What did you learn through those experiences?

PRAYER
---"Heavenly Father, open my mind and heart to see and recognize Your invitations wherever I am today. May Your Holy Spirit help me cooperate with Your opportunities in all wisdom and courage that I might bring You glory. In Jesus’ name, amen."
Blessings,
Pastor Allen Jackson
~~~

---AUTHENTIC CHRISTIANITY ~~

---"Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven."
---[Matthew 5:12] --

--I applied for a position in a Christian organization years ago and was presented with a list of legalistic rules having to do with use of alcohol, tobacco, and certain forms of entertainment. I could agree with this list because I, for reasons mostly unrelated to my faith, didn't do those things. But my argumentative side thought, Why don't they have a list about not being arrogant, insensitive, harsh, spiritually indifferent, and critical? None of these were addressed.

Following Jesus can't be defined by a list of rules. It's a subtle quality of life that's difficult to qualify but can best be described as "beautiful."

The Beatitudes in Matthew 5:3-10 sum up that beauty: Those who are indwelt by the and dependent on the Spirit of Jesus are humble and self-effacing. They're deeply touched by the suffering of others. They're gentle and kind. They long for goodness in themselves and in others. They're merciful to those who struggle and fail. They're single-minded in their love for Jesus. They're peaceful and leave behind a legacy of peace. They're kind to those who misuse them, returning good for evil. And they're blessed, a word that means means "happy" in the deepest sense.

This kind of life attracts the attention of others and belongs to those who come to Jesus and asks Him for it. If you have not been twice-born (born-again), please ask Jesus to be Lord of you life. He never turns away a sincere seeker. -[JOHN 3:3, 5, 6,]

--"Spirit of God, please produce these characteristics for the Beatitudes in my life. Help me, Lord, to be a light shining for You. In Jesus Name."
---ODB/DHR

--"Where I'm Standing Now" // Phil Wickham (feat Brandon Lake) <https://youtu.be/ZR3T8HQqlRA>
~~~~~~~~

-----'The Lord Hears and Answers Prayer '
--"The Lord hears when I call to Him." -- [Psalm 4:3] --

--My husband, Lynn and I stood alone in silence, waiting for the elevator. We'd just left his neuro-oncologist's office where the doctor reviewed Lynn's latest results.

We had hoped to see healing in his brain tissue damaged by cancer and radiation treatments nearly fifteen years ago, losses that robbed him of some memory and balance functions. For the past three months, Lynn had been traveling from Boulder to Denver on a combination of buses and light rail five days a week for a total of sixty hyperbaric treatments. He was surrounded by many people's specific prayers for healing that would give him back some of what he'd lost.

The tests didn't show much difference, and we felt discouraged as we began the hour-long drive home. What could we tell all those who'd been praying so specifically that his results would show improvement?

As I drove, Lynn began pointing out the landmarks he'd seen from his regular commutes to the hospital. . He also described how bus passengers readily helped other less able passengers, and the kind bus drive whom he'd thanked with a gift on the last day of his treatment.

Suddenly, the test results didn't matter so much. Here were Lynn's improvements. His recall of the landmarks; recognizing the kindness of strangers; his can-do courage to keep going, even in wet, cold weather. And his problem-solving confidence when he failed to get off the train at the right stop. Prayers weren't answered the way we specifically prayed, but the positive side effects of the experience were clearly evident. Good results!

--Guideposts/ CK

--"Lord Jesus, even when things don't' turn out the way we pray. You will work. Help us recognize those blessed side effects. Thank You, Lord, You are always at work in our lives. Bless Your Holy Name.

--"Bless The One" Mack Brock / (feat/ Matt Maher) <https://youtu.be/4BMphNCcnPY>
~~~~~~~