News you won't see in controlled mainstream media.

--'What Should I Do With Jesus?'

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
-What do you do with a man who claims to be God, yet hates religion? What do you do with a man who calls himself the Savior, yet condemns systems? What do you do with a man who knows the place and time of his death, yet goes there anyway?

--Pilate's question is yours. "What should I do with Jesus?"
--(Matthew 27:22 NCV)

You have two choices.
You can reject Him. That is an option. You can, as have many, decide that the idea of God's becoming a carpenter is too bizarre--and walk away.

Or you can accept Him. You can journey with Him. You can listen for His voice amidst the hundreds of voices and follow Him. ~~
------
--'There was too much to do to imagine that the impossible had occurred. God had entered the world as a baby.'

--The Angels Were Silent/ML ==/ I CAN ONLY IMAGINE/ MERCYME
<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UJEiV5N8cD0#t=169>
--------------

---WHO IS JESUS CHRIST?- /- WHAT SHOULD I DO WITH JESUS?

--Question: "Who is Jesus Christ?"

--Answer: Unlike the question “Does God exist?” very few people question whether Jesus Christ existed. It is generally accepted that Jesus was truly a man who walked on the earth in Israel 2000 years ago. The debate begins when the subject of Jesus' full identity is discussed. Almost every major religion teaches that Jesus was a prophet or a good teacher or a godly man. The problem is that the Bible tells us that Jesus was infinitely more than a prophet, a good teacher, or a godly man.

-C.S. Lewis in his book 'Mere Christianity' writes the following: “I am trying here to prevent anyone from saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him [Jesus Christ]: 'I'm ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don't accept his claim to be God.' That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic—on a level with a man who says he is a poached egg—or else he would be the Devil of hell.
You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse. You can shut him up for fool, you can spit at him and kill him as a demon; or you can fall at his feet and call him Lord and God. But let us not come up with any patronizing nonsense about his being a great human teacher. He has not left that option open to us. He did not intend to.”

So, who did Jesus claim to be? Who does the Bible say He is? First, let's look at Jesus’ words in John 10:30, “I and the Father are one."

At first glance, this might not seem to be a claim to be God. However, look at the Jews’ reaction to His statement, “‘We are not stoning you for any of these,’ replied the Jews, ‘but for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, claim to be God’” (John 10:33). The Jews understood Jesus’ statement as a claim to be God. In the following verses, Jesus never corrects the Jews by saying, “I did not claim to be God.” That indicates Jesus was truly saying He was God by declaring, “I and the Father are one” (John 10:30). John 8:58 is another example: “‘I tell you the truth,’ Jesus answered, ‘before Abraham was born, I am!’” Again, in response, the Jews took up stones in an attempt to stone Jesus (John 8:59). Jesus’ announcing His identity as “I am” is a direct application of the Old Testament name for God (Exodus 3:14). Why would the Jews again want to stone Jesus if He had not said something they believed to be blasphemous, namely, a claim to be God.

John 1:1 says “the Word was God.” John 1:14 says “the Word became flesh.” This clearly indicates that Jesus is God in the flesh. Thomas the disciple declared to Jesus, “My Lord and my God” (John 20:28). Jesus does not correct him. The apostle Paul describes Him as, “…our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ” (Titus 2:13). The apostle Peter says the same, “…our God and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 1:1).

God the Father is witness of Jesus’ full identity as well, “But about the Son he says, ‘Your throne, O God, will last forever and ever, and righteousness will be the scepter of your kingdom.’” Old Testament prophecies of Christ announce His deity, “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6).

So, as C.S. Lewis argued, believing Jesus to be only a good teacher is not an option. Jesus clearly and undeniably claimed to be God. If He is not God, then He is a liar, and therefore not a prophet, good teacher, or godly man. In attempts to explain away the words of Jesus, modern “scholars” claim the “true historical Jesus” did not say many of the things the Bible attributes to Him. Who are we to argue with God’s Word concerning what Jesus did or did not say? How can a “scholar” two thousand years removed from Jesus have better insight into what Jesus did or did not say than those who lived with, served with, and were taught by Jesus Himself (John 14:26)?

Why is the question over Jesus’ true identity so important? Why does it matter whether or not Jesus is God? The most important reason that Jesus has to be God is that if He is not God, His death would not have been sufficient to pay the penalty for the sins of the whole world (1 John 2:2). Only God could pay such an infinite penalty (Romans 5:8; 2 Corinthians 5:21).

Jesus had to be God so that He could pay our sin-debt. Jesus had to be man so He could die. Salvation is available only through faith in Jesus Christ. Jesus’ deity is why He is the only way of salvation. Jesus’ deity is why He proclaimed, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6).~~ <http://youtu.be/z-j_1e13qlE>

-'What Should I Do With Jesus?'

--Declaring the Unknown God
--By: John D. Morris, Ph.D.
-Evidence for Creation

“As I . . . beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you.” (Acts 17:23)
--------
-The people of Athens were known to be quite religious, worshipping a host of nature gods. They even had set up an altar “to the unknown god.” Paul pounced on this point of contact to declare unto them the God they didn’t know. He starts by laying the foundation: This God, he claims, is the Creator.

He not only “made the world and all things therein” (v. 24), but also is “Lord of heaven and earth.” To cause to exist and then to rule over all of creation, one must be omnipotent. He is much too great to dwell in “temples made with hands.” How ludicrous to think He might need anything, including the worship of men, “seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things” (v. 25).

This God “hath made of one blood all nations of men” and “hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation” (v. 26). To know all men, their race, futures, and details of their lives, God must be omniscient, eternal, boundless. He has done this so “that they should seek the Lord” (v. 27). He is not hard to find, for He is “not far from every one of us.” He is the sustainer and source of all life. “In him we live, and move, and have our being; . . . we are also his offspring” (v. 28), totally unlike gods of “gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man’s device” (v. 29).

But mankind has not known this God. He has been patient, but hates sin and “commandeth all men every where to repent” (v. 30), to gain forgiveness based on the work of “that man whom he hath ordained” (v. 31) as a final sacrifice, or as righteous judge. We can be sure of this because, when the sacrifice was slain, God “raised him from the dead” (v. 31).

Some mocked at the declaration of this mighty God (v. 32); some refused to act; but others believed (v. 34).
--ICR/JDM -/AT YOUR NAME + YAHWEH, YAHWEH, YHWH!(Phil Wickham)<http://youtu.be/il-bJjeiOhY>
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=il-bJjeiOhY#t=42>
----------

--YOU MAY NOT KNOW ME, BUT I ALL KNOW EVERYTHING ABOUT YOU~

--You may not know me, but I know everything about you. (Psalm 139:1)

I know when you sit down and when you rise up. (Psalm 139:2)

I am familiar with all your ways. (Psalm 139:3)

Even the very hairs on your head are numbered. (Matthew 10:29-31)

For you were made in My image. (Genesis 1:27)

In me you live and move and have your being. (Acts 17:28)

For you are my offspring.. (Acts 17:28)

I knew you even before you were conceived. (Jeremiah 1:4-5)

I chose you when I planned creation. (Ephesians 1:11-12)

You were not a mistake, for all your days are written in my book. (Psalm 139:15-16)

I determined the exact time of your birth and where you would live. (Acts 17:26)

You are fearfully and wonderfully made. (Psalm 139:14)

I knit you together in your mother's womb. (Psalm 139:13)

And brought you forth on the day you were born. (Psalm 71:6)

I have been misrepresented by those who don't know Me. (John 8:41-44)

I am not distant and angry, but am the complete expression of love. (1 John 4:16)

And it is my desire to lavish my love on you. (1 John 3:1)

Simply because you are my child and I am your Father. (1 John 3:1)

I offer you more than your earthly father ever could. --(Matthew 7:11)

For I am the perfect Father. (Matthew 5:48)

Every good gift that you receive comes from my hand. (James 1:17)

For I am your provider and I meet all your needs. (Matthew 6:31-33)

My plan for your future has always been filled with hope. -(Jeremiah 29:11)

Because I love you with an everlasting love. (Jeremiah 31:3)

My thoughts toward you are countless as the sand on the seashore. (Psalms 139:17-18)

And I rejoice over you with singing. (Zephaniah 3:17)

I will never stop doing good to you. (Jeremiah 32:40)

For you are my treasured possession. (Exodus 19:5)

I desire to establish you with all my heart and all my soul. (Jeremiah 32:41)

And I want to show you great and marvelous things. --(Jeremiah 33:3)

If you seek me with all your heart, you will find me. --(Deuteronomy 4:29)

Delight in Me and I will give you the desires of your heart. (Psalm 37:4)

For it is I who gave you those desires. (Philippians 2:13)

I am able to do more for you than you could possibly imagine. (Ephesians 3:20)

For I am your greatest encourager. (2 Thessalonians 2:16-17)

I am also the Father who comforts you in all your troubles. --(2 Corinthians 1:3-4)

When you are brokenhearted, I am close to you. (Psalm 34:18)

As a shepherd carries a lamb, I have carried you close to my heart. (Isaiah 40:11)

One day I will wipe away every tear from your eyes. --(Revelation 21:3-4)

And I'll take away all the pain you have suffered on this earth. (Revelation 21:3-4)

I am your Father, and I love you even as I love my Son, Jesus. (John 17:23)

For in Jesus, my love for you is revealed. (John 17:26)

He is the exact representation of my being. (Hebrews 1:3)

He came to demonstrate that I am for you, not against you. --(Romans 8:31)

And to tell you that I am not counting your sins.
--(2 Corinthians 5:18-19)

Jesus died so that you and I could be reconciled.
-- (2 Corinthians 5:18-19)

His death was the ultimate expression of my love for you.
--(1 John 4:10)

I gave up everything I loved that I might gain your love. --(Romans 8:31-32)

If you receive the gift of My Son Jesus, you receive Me.
--(1 John 2:23)

And nothing will ever separate you from my love again. --(Romans 8:38-39)

Come home and I'll throw the biggest party Heaven has ever seen. (Luke 15:7)

I have always been Father, and will always be Father. -(Ephesians 3:14-15)

-My question is..…Will you be my child? John 1:12-13

I am waiting for you. Luke 15:11-32
--WE SERVE A TRIUNE GOD. GOD the Father; God the Son; and God the Holy Spirit. They are inseparable. Please come to the Father through Jesus His Son, and spend eternity with Him in Heaven when He comes for His saints, believers in His Kingdom, which can not be shaken.~~
-------
<http://youtu.be/h0mPk_3dXSg>

--'What Should I Do With Jesus?'

---God's trust makes us eager to do right. Such is the genius of grace. The law can show us where we do wrong, but it can't make us eager to do right. Grace can. ~~ ---
---
'God gives no sponge baths. He washes us from head to toe. Paul reflected on his conversion and wrote: "He gave us a good bath, and we came out of it new people, washed inside and out by the Holy Spirit" (Titus 3:5 MSG).

Your sins stand no chance against the fire hydrant of God's grace. ~~

--Grip of Grace/ML
---
-Listen. You have not been sprinkled with forgiveness. You have not been spattered with grace. You have not been dusted with kindness. You have been immersed in it. You are submerged in mercy. You are a minnow in the ocean of His mercy. Let it change you!

--'A Love Worth Giving'/ML
---THE WORDS OF THE BIBLE HAVE LIFE!...GOD WORKS THROUGH THESE WORDS.
---WHITE FLAG ~~ Chris Tomlin~~
Praise the Lord, Jesus paid our sin-debt! Surrender all to HIM. The war is over, Love has come, The Lord has won!
http://youtu.be/Lk8ue3qN0hg

-The most important question you will ever answer and live by, will determine your eternal destiny.
--"What Should I Do With Jesus?"
-----
--JESUS IS OUR BLESSED HOPE!

--"Who by Him you do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God." (1 Peter 1:21)

--"Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ." ((1Peter 1:13)

--"For the hope which is laid up for you in Heaven, whereof you heard before in the word of truth of the Gospel...
--(Colossians 1:27)

"Be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart, all that hope in the Lord."
--(Psalm 31:24)
---
"For thou art my hope, O Lord God thou art my trust from my youth."
--(Psalm 71:5)

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead."
--(1 Peter 1:3) ~~
--My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus' blood and righteousness!
---CORNERSTONE ~~ HILLSONG LIVE~
<http://youtu.be/cWHgvkEPJiQ>

--Servanthood in a Culture of Celebrities
--Read | Matthew 20:17-28~
[Jesus Again Predicts His Death // A Mother's Request // We must remain humble. 'He must increase but I must decrease. '= (John 3:30)-]

-Every year Forbes magazine trots out its “Celebrity 100,” a list of the most famous people in the world. Our society sure loves its celebrities. They seem to have it all—fame, power, influence, and applause from the masses. Who wouldn't want to be like them, at least on a small scale?

Unfortunately, the virus of celebrity worship can quickly develop into a full-blown case of celebrity envy, and when it came to Jesus’ disciples, they surely exhibited signs of infection. For three years the Lord has been training them to take the anti-celebrity path—the way of being unknown and un-famous, the path of secret goodness and unspectacular acts of mercy. But in the 20th chapter of Matthew, they still haven’t learned the lesson. This is the third time Jesus recites the horrific details of His impending death, which should have appalled and devastated His disciples. Instead, beginning with James and John, they start scrambling for the best seats in the house. Jesus is going to the Cross, and they want to be stars.

Then things start to spiral out of control. The other 10 disciples, “indignant with the two brothers,” start puffing and preening with the cries of every celebrity wannabe: “Notice me,” “I was first,” and “I’m better than you.”

So Jesus enacts an intervention, first by warning them about the wrong way to live. “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them,” He says. Throughout human history, this wrong way has appeared utterly natural. No wonder Jesus’ prescription for the right way to live feels shockingly abnormal: “Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave” (vv. 25-27 NIV).

But Jesus doesn't just give us good advice; He also becomes our servant and slave by offering His “life as a ransom for many” (v. 28). A ransom is a payment offered on behalf of someone held captive against his will. In this sense, the disciples aren't just hostages of an oppressive Roman conqueror; they’re also captives of their own unloving attachment to fame, power, and privilege.

So Jesus has taken our place; He died the death we should have died. In light of His greatness and humility, no matter who Forbes trumpets next year, there’s room for just one real celebrity. By His life, death, and resurrection, Jesus has permanently nabbed the top spot on the only list that matters. Thankfully, by His grace, this humble King invites us to join Him as His guests on the stage of redemption.

—IN TOUCH/MW~

-What Should I do With Jesus? What Has He done For You?

----Signed, SEALED, Delivered!

“...ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise.”---- - Ephesians 1:13

--The moment you receive Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, the Holy Spirit of God seals you into Himself.

What does it mean to be “sealed”? It means the King’s seal has been placed on you. The King’s seal can be broken by no man. That means you are His for all time and eternity.

-Second Timothy 2:19 says, “Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are His.” You are sealed into a relationship with God by the Holy Spirit.

-Read Daniel 6 and Matthew 27. Note the similarities in the accounts of Daniel and Jesus being sealed away for death—and how the Almighty God delivered them unto life!

--Adrian Rogers~~
[Once you give your life to Christ, and accept Him as your Lord and Savior, He will begin a new life in you. You will want to 'go and tell what what He has done!' He died to save you and me, and the rest of mankind for eternity. BUT most choose to 'satisfy self', so they won't release their lives totally into His hands. He loves you! He died for you. Take the Bible personally. He is 'YOUR' King, Savior, Lord, Redeemer.' He did it all just for you. Please do not turn away His 'free gift' of salvation. Salvation from Hell to spend eternity with the King of Glory. There is a Heaven and a Hell. He leaves that choice up to you. ~~] TAKE ME TO THE KING! ~ Tamela Mann<http://youtu.be/CnuQ_qKgWZ4>

--The Duty of Rejoicing

“But let all those that put their trust in thee rejoice: let them ever shout for joy, because thou defendest them: let them also that love thy name be joyful in thee.” (Psalm 5:11)

--It may seem strange to think of rejoicing as a Christian duty, but the Scriptures do contain many commands to rejoice, and many of these are given in circumstances of grief or danger, as is the case of our beautiful text verse.

“Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice” (Philippians 4:4), Paul wrote from a Roman dungeon. In the upper room the night before He was to die on a cross, the Lord Jesus said to His disciples: “These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full” (John 15:11). And then He said: “They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service” (John 16:2). But then He said again: “Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full” (John 16:24).

If David could rejoice while fleeing from murderous enemies, if Paul could rejoice while chained unjustly in a Roman prison, if the disciples could experience fullness of joy while facing martyrdom, and if the Lord Himself “for the joy that was set before him endured the Cross, despising the shame” (Hebrews 12:2), then our Christian duty of rejoicing in all circumstances may not be such an unseemly command after all.

We can rejoice, as our text reminds us, “because thou defendest them.” Furthermore, He Himself provides the joy, for “the fruit of the Spirit is . . . joy” (Galatians 5:22). It is not that the Christian will never know sorrow, for Christ Himself was “a man of sorrows” (Isaiah 53:3). But He also was a man of joy and, in Him, we can be like Him—“as sorrowful, yet alway rejoicing” (2 Corinthians 6:10).
--ICR/HMM
--SHOUT TO JESUS! Hillsong~~
<http://youtu.be/gn5CMSSAx_c>
---

--WHAT SHOULD I DO WITH JESUS?

--VIRTUAL REALITY

“We are buried with Him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.” - ---Romans 6:4

I was in an airport one day looking for something to pass the time when I saw a virtual reality motorcycle ride. I sat down and buckled my seat belt as instructed. The screen came on and I couldn’t believe it. I felt like I was riding a motorcycle, but I was just sitting in a room!

Sometimes our minds tell us something is true when it’s not true. Other times when something is true, we fail to believe that it is true. How critical it is for us to focus on the truth!

Jesus died for you.
He lives for you.
You died with Him.
You live for Him.

Day by day, you need to take those facts and turn them into faith.

Tell yourself this truth today. Write it down. Post it all around you! 'JESUS DIED FOR ME SO I MAY LIVE FOR HIM!'
--Adrian Rogers--
--------
--Historian and Author William Wan sums up the evidence of the 'death, burial, and resurrection of our Lord Jesus'...when he says, "All the strictly historical evidence we have is in favor of the empty tomb, and those scholars who reject it ought to recognize that they do so on some other ground than that of scientific history."~~
'Jesus died by crucifixion and rose from the dead three days later. That historical reality is the substance of a Christian's hope.'
----------
--My Hope Is in You, Lord! -- Aaron Shust
https://youtu.be/h5hd4bB5gfo
-------

--ARE YOU ASHAMED OF JESUS,.. OR WILL HE BE ASHAMED OF YOU?

--BIBLE MEDITATION:
“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.” Romans 1:16

--DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:
--Are you willing to spend and be spent for the Lord today, or are there just too many other things on your agenda? Are you willing, no matter if it causes blood, sweat, and tears, to be used by the Lord, or are you more interested in where you are going to spend your next vacation?

So many of us are chicken when it comes to witnessing for Jesus Christ. We cluck and duck when the subject of God or religion is raised. We hope no one is looking when we ask God to bless our food in a public place.

We need more of the spirit of the saints who are suffering for the sake of the Gospel this very minute in prisons, in torture, in abuse – all because they profess a love for Jesus Christ. Jesus said, “Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of Me and of My words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of Man be ashamed, when He cometh in the glory of His Father with the holy angels” (Mark 8:38).

--ACTION POINT:
God is calling you to leave your comfortable Christianity behind and tell someone that Jesus loves them and wants to save them. Will you do it, or will you be too ashamed? Let this be the year you bring the light of Christ to your dorm, your neighborhood, your apartment building, your baseball team, your workplace – wherever God has placed you. Let Him use you for His glory!

--Adrian Rogers ~~
--"I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance."
--(Luke 5:31)

--Jesus answered and said to him, "Most assuredly I say to you, unless one is born again (spiritually), he cannot see the Kingdom of God."
--- (John 3:3)
----
"Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all have sinned."
--(Romans 5:12)
------
--"For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved."
----(John 3:17)

--"But as many received Him, to them he gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe on His Name."
--(John 1:12)

--"He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him."
--(John 3:36)
[Inside the heart of every man is a longing for eternal life, that only comes from Jesus Christ. Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." COME.....please don't wait another day. You might not be here tomorrow. "Today is the day of salvation." Jesus will take you JUST AS YOU ARE. You can not do this on your own. Surrender to JESUS! He will help you to change, He will change you!]
----
<https://youtu.be/2s6OMyztOzE>

--Blessed Is the Man Who Trusts in the Lord

“O taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in Him.”
--(Psalm 34:8)

--The Lord Jesus Christ gives us 'beatitudes'—attitudes that ought to be. They are not platitudes. They are attitudes that deal with Christian character.
--(See: Matthew 5:1-13).

Your reputation is what others think about you, but character is what God knows about you.

The beatitudes do not say, “Blessed are what you have,” or “Blessed are what you do,” but “Blessed are what you are.” Most of the people in the world are doing what? They are seeking happiness. If you seek happiness you’ll never find it. But if you get right with God, blessedness will find you.

Have you been finding your self-worth in what you have or what you do? Confess it before the Lord and meditate on the attitudes you ought to have in Matthew 5:3-11.
---Adrian Rogers ~~<https://youtu.be/eZK0xn-PEFI>

--The Way of Faith / Keep Your Eyes on Jesus!
---Read | Hebrews 11:23-28

--Many people consider Moses a biblical “pillar” of Old Testament days—a man without equal in godliness. And certainly, he encountered the presence of the Almighty in a most unusual way and was called to do mighty things with the Lord’s help. But, like us, he was a normal, sinful human being. What the New Testament commends him for is something we all can have: belief (faith).

Today’s verses come from the passage known as the Bible’s “Hall of Faith.” Those honored with inclusion in this chapter were chosen because they acted obediently, and God achieved great things through them.

We, too, can watch His hand in our lives as we act on faith. When we trust Him and obey, God demonstrates His power and shows that He truly is Lord. By operating out of His strength and through our weakness, He teaches us to rely upon Him.

That’s not to say the path is easy; Jesus warned that the way of faith includes suffering. Indeed, many early Christians were beaten or killed for His sake, and faith is still met with harsh persecution in various places around the world. While that may not be our experience, each of us has encountered ridicule, misunderstanding, or lost friendships because we follow Christ.

--Even mild persecution can cause us to question whether living out our faith is worth the sacrifice. The truth is, it’s the best way to live.
God responds to faith by enabling His children to endure difficulty, demonstrating His power in their circumstances, and providing joy. Keep your eyes on Jesus. He never takes His eyes off you.
--IN TOUCH--/ "NO MORE NIGHT" By: David Phelps
https://youtu.be/qkttgfPBNnA
-------------

--What Should I Do With Jesus?

-Perhaps you have heard someone say, "Well, now I'm saved. I don't have to worry about it. I'm going to Heaven."

-OR= 'The Pastor at the Church said, "All you need to do is come forward and say the sinners prayer with me, and you are saved."'
-OR= I was raised in a Christian family. So I don't need to worry about it.

-A familiar one= "I'm keeping the ten Commandments, give to charity, church membership, I'm a nice person. I even go to church on Sundays (sometimes), and always on Christmas and Easter."
Those are just a few of the standard answers. BUT what does Jesus say?

Take a look with me at Matthew 28:16-20. "The Great Commission"~ This is Jesus speaking, after He had risen from the dead.

'Jesus came and spoke to the disciples, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in Heaven and on Earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you: and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen~'

We hear people today saying, 'that is a job for the Pastors of a church, or leaders in a congregation'. No, my friend, Jesus also tells us, "Why do you call Me Lord, and do not do the things I say?" This is a prime example of people who say they are 'saved', yet they have NOT accepted Jesus as their Lord. They have not surrendered their lives to his Lordship.
Adrian Rogers said it well, "Jesus can not be your Savior, unless He is your Lord."
You surrender allegiance of your life totally to Him. Then, you will eagerly share in his 'Great Commission.'

After I was saved, and gave my life to Jesus, a small women's Bible Study group had a 'Teacher of the Bible', who baptized a few people in my friend's home, her bathtub. That is perfectly biblical. By faith, this very godly woman baptized a few women, who were saved by grace.
"For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast." (Ephesians 2:8,9).

"That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved." (Romans 10:9)~~

Jesus said, "But why do you call Me "Lord, Lord," and not do the things which I say?" (Luke 6:46).

A truly 'saved' person will be a 'changed' person. "For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps." (1 Peter 2:21)~~
[Some may ask if baptism necessary for salvation. No, however, the baptism is a outward sign of an inner 'new life in Christ.' Jesus does want His people to be baptized. If you have not yet been baptized, ask your Church Pastor, or Elders of the Church, 'Home Bible Teacher', what you should do. May the Lord Jesus lead, guide and direct your steps, to 'follow Him.'] ~~

------

--What Should I Do With Jesus?

--He died so that you might live eternally with Him. After you are 'born again' (John 3:3), you will eagerly want to tell others. Your sins have been forgiven so that you will 'Go and make disciples of all men.'

Please remember, the goal of the stories in the Bible are not to help us look back with amazement, but forward with faith. The God who spoke still speaks. The God who forgave still forgives. The God who came still comes. He comes into our world. He comes into your life. He changes your stoney heart to be like His, pure and holy. He comes to move the stones you can't budge.

What does He ask in return? "Be His light in this dark world."
"Be salt, that is to preserve, or flavor with His love grace and mercy."

--He Still Moves Stones/ML~
<https://youtu.be/AFyavoFYOxg>

---Through Times of Trial
----Genesis 50:18-21

--If anyone had ample opportunity to become embittered by life’s trials, it was Joseph. His brothers treated him with contempt even before they tossed him into a pit. Then, he was sold into slavery, transported to a foreign land, framed for a crime, and left to waste away in prison—all within a relatively short period of time. Despite the many injustices he suffered, this boy who grew up in bondage became a man of diligent work ethic and gentle spirit.

It’s almost impossible to understand how Joseph could seem so forgiving, peaceful, and even joyful. His secret to maintaining grace under pressure was a constant focus on God. He must have spent many hours recalling Jacob’s stories about the Lord’s faithfulness to their family—and also the divine revelations about his own future as a leader (Gen. 37:8-9). In spite of his numerous afflictions, Joseph trusted that those God-given dreams would become reality.

Imagine what kind of man Joseph might have become after 13 years of suffering and injustice. Had Joseph dwelled on his unfair circumstances, he’d likely have become cynical and vengeful. With a mind full of escape plots and revenge tactics, he might have failed at being a good worker—so instead of achieving greatness, Joseph would probably have toiled at unfulfilling menial tasks.

With his spiritual eyes trained on God’s glory, Joseph persevered through great trials. In the end, he certainly had the power to punish his brothers for their treachery, but he chose to forgive. That decision probably wasn't easy. Yet because Joseph placed himself under God’s protection, his heart was unhindered by negative emotions.
----IN TOUCH ~~

--So, 'What Should I Do With Jesus?' Do what He said to do, [MARK 16:15-20] // ~~ *** "Go into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature. He who believes and is baptized will be saved, but he who does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly. It will be no means hurt the: they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover."

So then after the Lord had spoken to them, He was received up into Heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God. And they went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word through the accompanying signs. Amen." ~~ JESUS~~ [MARK 16:15-20~~]

--"Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever." (Hebrews 13:8) He never changes. Stop believing the lies of Satan. Jesus still works wonders and miracles. If you refuse to accept His 'free gift' that is your own fault. Don't blame Him for what you refuse to believe.

--What Should I Do With Jesus? What Has He Done For You?


---THE LORD IS THY KEEPER ~~
--By:John D. Morris, Ph.D.
Evidence for Creation

“The LORD is thy Keeper: the LORD is thy shade upon thy right hand. . . . The LORD shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore” ---(Psalm 121:5,8).

One of the most precious doctrines in all of Scripture is that of the secure position of the believer in Christ Jesus. Nothing in creation “shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:39).

The apostle Peter tells us that we who are born again are “kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation” (I Peter 1:5). Nothing we can do can merit salvation; similarly, nothing we do can keep it. This is God’s work, not ours, and extends to all realms of our lives. “I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved (usually translated ‘kept’) blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ” (I Thessalonians 5:23).

This keeping aspect of God’s work for us should not be a surprise, for Christ prayed for just this. With His betrayal, trial, crucifixion, and death imminent, He prayed for all who would eventually believe on Him (John 17:20). “Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me. . . . While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest Me I have kept, and none of them is lost. . . . I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil (one)” (John 17:11,12,15). We can be certain the prayer is answered, for God, the Father, would surely hear the intercessory prayer of His own beloved Son.

“Now unto Him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen” (Jude 24,25).
--ICR/JDM --/ I Am Not Alone / Kari Jobe
<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MbbCGqK6uNc>
-----

-NOW that we've asked, "What Should I Do With Jesus?", ...let's get to the main point. "What Will You Do With Jesus?" Where you spend eternity depends on your decision. You must either accept Him as your Lord and Savior, or reject Him, and live eternally separate from our Just and Holy Father, Jehovah God.... The choice He leaves with you. ~~ Please don't let another day pass, if you have not received Him, do so today. We are not promised tomorrow. JESUS LOVES YOU!
----------
---WHAT WILL YOU DO WITH JESUS?
--(Please Read / John 10:22-30)

-Jesus is the most important and controversial person in all of history; His name stirs up virulent hatred in some people and radical devotion in others.

--Jesus claimed to be the Son of God. As a result, every person on earth must decide what to do with Him. He didn’t leave us the option of ignoring Him or washing our hands of the matter. There are really just two choices: Believe Him or reject Him. Rejection will result in judgment and eternal separation from God (John 3:18), but eternal life is promised to whoever trusts in Him.

Believers must also decide what they will do with Jesus after salvation. Faith in Him isn’t just the way to eternal life in heaven; it is also to be our way of life here and now. If we believe in Jesus, we will:

**Follow Him. Christ’s sheep hear His voice and submit to His leadership.

**Worship Him. As we grow in our love for and trust in the Savior, our natural response will be to adore and praise Him.

**Share Him. We should want everyone to know this wonderful God who rescued us and transformed our lives.

**Look for His coming. To be with Jesus face to face is our greatest hope and joy. This life is only a breath compared to the time we’ll be with Him in eternity.

If you have never made a decision about Jesus, the best time to do so is right now. And if you already are His follower, look for ways to demonstrate your faith in Him today. Train yourself to be on the lookout for opportunities to obey Him, worship Him, and share the Good News with others.
-IN TOUCH~
Jesus is Lord, Savior, Redeemer and Creator. He's coming back to reclaim His Church, (body of believers). Are you ready? "No one knows the day or hour the Son of Man will return. Be ye always ready." (Matthew 24:42) ~-HE IS LORD-Hillsong~~
<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DVpLKSJZhBU>

--Surrender Your Heart, Words, and Thoughts to Jesus~~

--"Take Control of what I say, O LORD,
And Guard my lips. 'Let the words of My
Mouth and the Meditation of my heart be
acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my Rock
and my Redeemer."
--(Psalm 141:3; Psalm 19:14)
-----
--Imagine what it would be like to hear everything we say repeated! It wouldn't be so bad to hear ourselves repeat, "I love you" or "I was wrong" or "Thank You, Lord," or "I'm praying for you." But not all of our words are beautiful or gentle or kind. What about those angry outbursts or demeaning comments that no one wants to hear once, let alone twice--those words that we would really rather take back?

Like the Psalmist David, we long to have the Lord's control over our words, He prayed, "Take control of what I say, O LORD, and guard my lips" And thankfully, the Lord wants to do that. He can help us control what we say. He can guard our lips. Our Sovereign One is in control. Yet he gives us the choice to do what is right in His eyes. He doesn't want robots, He wants willing followers.

As we learn to adjust to our own sound system by paying careful attention to what we say and praying about the words we speak, the Lord will patiently teach us and even empower us to have self-control. And best of all, He forgives us when we fail and is pleased with our desire for His help. As we reach up to Jesus, He reaches down to us, to take us and lead us in the paths everlasting. God, whatever comes my way I will trust you.

--PART OF SELF-CONTROL IS MOUTH-CONTROL.~~
--ODB/AC --Sovereign / Chris Tomlin~~
<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JMTG13qVY3g>
------

--Lovingkindness and Tender Mercy~~

--"Remember, O LORD, thy tender mercies and the lovingkindnesses for they have been ever of old."
--(Psalm 25:6)--

These beautiful words, "tender mercies" and lovingkindness," may sound somewhat old-fashioned in today's sophisticated jargon, but the divine attributes they represent have been "ever of old" and will continue to characterize our tender and merciful, kind and loving God of all grace forever.

Note some of the rich scriptural testimonies associated with them: [The LORD] redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies: (Psalm 103:4). "Withhold not thou they tender mercies from me, O LORD; let thy lovingkindness and thy truth continually preserve me" (Psalm 40:11). "Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness; according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions" (Psalm 51:1).
"Hear me, O LORD; for thy lovingkindness is good, turn unto me according to the multitude of thy tender mercies" (Psalm 69:16).

Our gracious God is uniquely the God of love and mercy. In spite of the fact that none of us deserve His lovingkindness or tender mercy, "the LORD is gracious, and full of compassion; slow to anger, and of great mercy. The LORD is good to all; and his tender mercies are over all his works" ( Psalm 145:8-9).

--ICR/HMM
--<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=svSaN3x8zio>

------------

--HIM, Just Him ~~

--BIBLE MEDITATION:
“For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I have committed unto Him against that day.”
---(2 Timothy 1:12)-

--DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:
--I heard of a lady who memorized so many verses of Scripture that she quoted them back to the Lord in praise to His name. When she grew old and began to lose her memory, she could only remember one verse, “For I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I have committed unto Him against that day.” She would quote it over and over.

Soon her memory deteriorated more, and all she could remember was just the phrase “committed unto Him.” It brought her much comfort. Finally she came to a place where all she could say was “Him.”

--ACTION POINT:
-You can distill the Bible down to that one word, “Him.” Can you tune all of your life to that one note of praise? Him.
--Adrian Rogers~~---'HIM' = Desperation Band~~
<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cg_f2p3FbhU>
-------------

--THE DECISION EVERYONE MUST MAKE~~

--Pilate said to them, "What then shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?"
—---(Matthew 27:22)--

Indecision is something we all experience. What should I wear? What should I do in this situation? Sometimes indecision has significant consequences, and sometimes it doesn’t.

When you’re indecisive, you try to live in two worlds. You try to appease everyone. That’s what Pontius Pilate tried to do. And in Matthew 27, we see how his indecision led to the most significant of consequences. He wanted other people to be pleased with his decision. He wanted everyone to get along. As a result, he was unwilling to decide what was really right.

Pilate didn’t realize what was actually happening. In reality, it was not Jesus standing before Pilate; it was Pilate standing before Jesus. Pilate was on trial, and he missed a golden opportunity to believe, a golden opportunity to trust in this One who had come to die for all humanity.

Pilate had to decide for himself and answer a question that everyone eventually must come to grips with: “What then shall I do with Jesus?”

He heard many voices that day. He heard the voice of the multitude saying, “Let Him be crucified!” He heard the voice of his wife saying, “Have nothing to do with that just Man.” He surely must have heard the voice of his own conscience attesting to the innocence of Jesus. And he heard the voice of Jesus Himself. Sadly, Pilate listened to the wrong voice. It was a decision he no doubt regretted for the rest of his life.

-Every one of us must come to grips with what we will do with Jesus. Yet, like Pilate, so many people let others do their thinking for them. They let others make their decision for them. And in the end, they pay with everything. I hope you won’t let that happen to you.~~

--[*By:Greg Laurie Daily*]
--'A Mighty Fortress is Our God' / Christy Nockels <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6_XcjZyxd38>
--------

----PALM SUNDAY ~~
--(Please Read/ Luke 19:28-44)

-Hindsight is always 20/20. Yet while we are in a particular situation, we often make things out to be what they aren’t and infer wrong meanings. Later, we kick ourselves, thinking, If only I had known then what I know now!

Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem must have been one of those moments for the disciples. It probably appeared to be a wonderful day for them—and it was, but for different reasons than they realized. They thought the Messiah had come to reestablish Israel’s power in the world. But God had something else in mind.

The disciples weren’t the only ones who had misconceptions about the Messiah. Many Jews expected Him to be an earthly king. When the crowds heard Jesus was coming, they shouted, “Hosanna,” which means “save now” (John 12:13). They saw Him as their new king, come to bring salvation from political and societal oppression. He raised the dead, so they assumed He could also restore the kingdom of David and free them from Roman rule.

Seated upon a donkey, Jesus resembled a ruler returning to his city in peacetime, whose loyal subjects lined the path with coats and palm fronds. Even the Pharisees were there watching in indignation, saying, “Look, the world has gone after Him” (John 12:19).

This week, think back to those times when circumstances looked one way but turned out to be something else. Recall what it was like to realize God was different than you imagined and to see His will unfold in surprising ways. Look for an opportunity to share your insight with a friend or loved one.
--IN TOUCH~~--My Victory--By: David Crowder
<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XzyvnX4yGVw>

--HALLELUJAH/ Casting Crowns~~
<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fORhnYILTSo>
--------

---THE URGENCY OF CHRIST'S WORK~~~

“I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work.”
------(John 9:4)

It is striking how often the Lord Jesus used the term “must” in connection with the different aspects of the work He came to do. Since He is our example, we also must be serious and urgent about our Father’s work. Even as a boy in the temple, He told His parents, “I must be about my Father’s business” (Luke 2:49).

Then early in His ministry, as He went from place to place, He said, “I must preach the kingdom of God to other cities also: for therefore am I sent” (Luke 4:43). Toward the end of His earthly ministry, He said one day, “I must walk to day, and to morrow, and the day following: for it cannot be that a prophet perish out of Jerusalem” (Luke 13:33). He also said to His disciples that “he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day” (Matthew 16:21).

He had told the great teacher of Israel, Nicodemus, “Ye must be born again.” To explain how this could be, He then said, “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life” (John 3:7, 14-15).. Before we could ever be born again to everlasting life, therefore, Christ must be lifted up on the Cross to die for our sins.

Still, all “the scriptures must be fulfilled” (Mark 14:49), and accordingly, “he must rise again from the dead” (John 20:9). Yet, even this did not fully complete “the works of him that sent me,” for Christ had said that “the gospel must first be published among all nations” (Mark 13:10). Therefore, we also must work the works of Him who sent us, before our days of opportunity are gone.
--ICR/ HMM --"All Creatures of our God and King" / Maranatha Singers~~ [PRAISE HIM! JESUS IS CREATOR!) <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0d3gO6qDLNA>
-----------

---WE CAN KNOW THAT WE KNOW HIM~

--“And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.”
---(1 John 2:3)--

---The apostle John’s vocabulary in his gospel, epistles, and even in Revelation is quite distinctive. The verb “know,” for example, occurs more in John than in any other gospel, and more in 1 John than in any other epistle. He emphasizes by this that the Christian life is based on knowledge. In the words of today’s verse, for example, we can test the genuineness of our knowledge of Christ as Savior by whether or not we keep His commandments. Note some of the other tests listed in John in his first epistle.

“Ye know that every one that doeth righteousness is born of him” (1 John 2:29). “We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren” (3:14). “Hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us” (3:24). “But whoso keepeth [i.e., ‘guards’] his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him” (2:5). “These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life” (5:13).

There are other similar “tests of life,” but these make the point. A person who has been really born again through faith in Christ and His saving work can have assurance of his salvation if he truly believes in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ; if he guards and honors God’s Word; if he manifests the presence of the guiding, purifying Holy Spirit in his life; if he keeps His commandments and lives righteously; and if he manifests real love for his Christian brethren.

This is not to say that if he fails one or more of these tests he is necessarily unsaved. There are, however, no grounds for real assurance of salvation without them. Therefore, as Paul suggests, “examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves” (2 Corinthians 13:5).
--Yes, we can KNOW that the Messiah has come. He will return soon to gather us His Church. Be ready!
--ICR/HMM --/ 'MESSIAH' / by Francesca Battistelli~~<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bSDKubrHfsg>
--------

---THE MOST IMPORTANT QUESTION IN YOUR LIFE~~

---WHAT SHOULD I DO WITH JESUS? WHERE YOU SPEND ETERNITY DEPENDS ON YOUR CHOICE.

---THE DEFINING POINT~~

--"If you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
---(Romans 10:9 NIV)

--I believe in Jesus Christ, God’s only Son, our Lord. That last phrase is somewhat different. It’s not about Jesus’ position in the Trinity. It’s not about His title.
It’s about the relationship we have with Him.

--There will be all sorts of beings in hell who believe that Jesus is the Son of God. Even the devil and the demons believe that, but they chose not to confess Him as Lord. One of the mistakes we make is thinking that sitting in church or embracing a set of rules makes us a Jesus-follower. The real defining point with regard to the Kingdom of God is our decision about our relationship with Jesus of Nazareth and whether we choose to yield to Him as Lord of our lives.

--- ***THINK ABOUT IT
Is Jesus truly Lord of your life—your whole life? Lord of your relationships? Your resources? Lord of your hopes and dreams?

****PRAYER
----"Heavenly Father, I believe You sent Your Son to earth for me and that He died on the Cross for my sins and rose from the dead so that I could have life. Forgive me for thinking I could do anything to save myself or that through self-effort I could be accepted by You. I choose to yield my whole life to You—all of my relationships, my resources, and my hopes and dreams—knowing fully that Your plan for my life is perfect. In Jesus’ name, amen."

--Blessings,
---Pastor Allen Jackson
----Intend Ministries

---SEVEN DAYS ~~~~~

“Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad.” (John 8:56)--

Jesus spoke to the Pharisees about “my day”—a day that Abraham had “seen” 2,000 years before. This evidently referred to the time when Christ would be on Earth, which God had enabled Abraham to see in prophecy.

But of all the days when He was on the earth, the most glorious was the great day when He rose from the dead. “He hath raised up Jesus again; as it is also written in the second psalm, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee” (Acts 13:33).

As a result of His death and resurrection, “behold, now is the day of salvation” (2 Corinthians 6:2). The day of salvation is any day in this age of grace when a person believes on Christ for salvation. He then receives “the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption” (Ephesians 4:30). This great future day of redemption evidently is the same as “the day of Jesus Christ” (Philippians 1:6), when He comes again.

Following this is the fearful day of the Lord, when Christ will punish and judge and reign. “The day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night . . . and they shall not escape” (1 Thessalonians 5:2-3). It is also called “the great day of his wrath” (Revelation 6:17).

This day of the Lord will culminate at God’s great white throne. This will be “the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God” (Romans 2:5).

Finally will come the eternal “day of God” when this present earth will be purified with fire and “we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness” (2 Peter 3:13). That day will never end, “for there shall be no night there” (Revelation 21:25).
--ICR/HMM [Please Read/ Romans 10: verses 9 thru 13]---// Don Francisco / 'He's Alive!' <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NyPBVwOCYmM>
------------

---EVERY MOMENT MATTERS~~

--"For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain."----—---(Philippians 1:21)--

When I met Ada, she had outlived her entire group of friends and family and was living in a nursing home. “It’s the hardest part of getting old,” she told me, “watching everyone else move on and leave you behind.” One day I asked Ada what kept her interest and how she spent her time. She answered me with a Scripture passage from the apostle Paul (Philippians 1:21): “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.” Then she said, “While I’m still around, I have work to do. On my good days, I get to talk to the people here about Jesus; on the hard days, I can still pray.”

Significantly, Paul wrote Philippians while in prison. And he acknowledged a reality many Christians understand as they face their mortality: Even though heaven seems so inviting, the time we have left on Earth matters to God.

Like Paul, Ada recognized that every breath she took was an opportunity to serve and glorify God. So Ada spent her days loving others and introducing them to her Savior.

Even in our darkest moments, Christians can hold on to the promise of permanent joy in the company of God. And while we live, we enjoy relationship with Him. He fills all our moments with significance.

--"Lord, grant me the strength to serve You with every breath I take, so that every moment of my remaining days matters to Your Kingdom."--

--WHEN GOD COMES TO CALL US HOME, MAY HE FIND US SERVING HIM.~~

--ODB/RK--/"MORE LIKE JESUS" // Passion/ Kristian Stanfill~~ / <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OAwlcswW6sg&feature=youtu.be>
---------

---THE SURE FOUNDATION~~ / JESUS!

“Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure.”
----(2 Timothy 2:19)

---The preceding verses of this section of 2 Timothy are replete with warnings about the damage that could be done through “babblings” and cancerous words. But God is unshaken by whatever man might do. “He is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he” (Deuteronomy 32:4).

“I am the LORD, and there is none else,” Isaiah joyfully quotes (Isaiah 45:6). “I am the LORD, I change not,” the prophet Malachi is told (Malachi 3:6), and there is “no variableness, neither shadow of turning” (James 1:17) in the God of creation. God’s sovereign will is absolute: “The word of our God shall stand for ever” (Isaiah 40:8). “My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure” (Isaiah 46:10).

We who are twice-born, (John 3 verse 3) and thus the children of God, can stand firm and steadfast in the knowledge that He who is “sure” is the One who is working in us “to will and to do of his good pleasure” (Philippians 2:13). He has adopted us as His children “by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will” (Ephesians 1:5).

It is no random act of capricious fate that has secured us. It is the sure foundation of the great Creator God. It is His divine power, JESUS, that has “given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue.” That calling rests on “exceeding great and precious promises” that enable us to participate in the “divine nature” and escape the awful “corruption that is in the world through lust.”
---- (2 Peter 1:3-4)

--ICR/ HMM III----/--"All to Him" --Desperation Band~ <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cg_f2p3FbhU>
-------

---WE SHOULD SEEK TO SERVE JESUS, AND OTHERS~~

---A dispute arose among them as to which of them was considered to be greatest. Jesus said to them, . . . "Who is greater, the one who is at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one who is at the table? But I am among you as one who serves."
--(LUKE 22:24-25,27= NIV)--

--Jesus knows He is about to be betrayed, and He is having a last supper with His followers. The disciples have seen Jesus walk on water, open blind eyes, and raise the dead. They are convinced He is the most remarkable man they've ever known, and they have reoriented their whole lives around Him. Yet their egos are still getting the better of them, and they argue, quite unbelievably to our ears, about which of them is the greatest. Amazingly, Jesus doesn't get angry. He simply reminds them-again-that He came to serve, and those who follow Him are to serve as well.

--This principle has not changed since that conversation in the upper room. The greatest honor of our lives is being a follower and a servant of the Most High God. We should seek to serve Him, and we should seek to serve others in His name.

**Blessings,
**Pastor Allen Jackson
***World Outreach Church

--BEING 'HIS' LIGHT / WE SHINE FOR JESUS~
--(Pastor James Merritt~)

“While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.’”
---( John 9:5)--

---We are surrounded by desperation. All around us are spiritually blind people who are trying to navigate the minefield of sin that is life without Jesus Christ. Which is worse, physical blindness or spiritual blindness? One is temporary but the other is eternal. One affects the flesh while the other destroys the soul. When Jesus met the blind man in John 9 He saw the totality of the man’s desperation; and it was both physical and spiritual.

It is easy to focus on the miracle Jesus performed in the outer man – restoring his physical sight. We love miracles we can see. And it was a miraculous and God-glorifying moment when that poor blind man saw for the very first time. But Jesus made a peculiar statement right before He opened the man’s eyes. In John 9:5 He said, “While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” What did He mean by that? The significance of this statement is two-fold.

First, He is showing His disciples that He is concerned primarily with the man’s spiritual darkness. He had already told them the man was born blind “so that the works of God might be displayed in him.” Jesus is the True Light that this man needed. Even more than to see physically, he needed Jesus’ light to shine into the darkness of his heart. This is what we all need, whether we can physically see or not.

Second, Jesus is telling His disciples that one day He will no longer be physically in the world. “While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” Why did He say “while”? He is foreshadowing the Great Commission. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus had told them, “You are the light of the world.” While He was with them physically, He was the light. But a day was coming when He would go back to His throne in heaven. Would His light disappear? No. The Holy Spirit would bring His light to live in His disciples, making them the light of the world…making every follower of Christ the light of the world.

There are blind men and women all around us…people who may look fine on the outside, but whose hearts are as blind as that man’s eyes that Jesus opened all those years ago. While we are in this world, we, too, are the light of the world because of Jesus. How brightly are you shining? Is Jesus the King of your heart?

-"LORD God, It is humbling to think that You have put Your light inside of me. Please help me not to waste the time You have given me on this earth to shine into the darkness of sin. Open my eyes today to the opportunities that are all around me. In Jesus’ Name, Amen."--/ "KING OF MY HEART" / KUTLESS~~--<https://youtu.be/wDsdsRuWrWk>
~~~~~~~~~~~~

--What Should I Do With Jesus? / What Has He Done For You?

--STUDENTS GET A WIN!
--A federal court ruled against the University of Iowa for targeting religious groups on its campus and making them leave the premises, including Business Leaders in Christ and InterVarsity Christian Fellowship because they ask their leaders to affirm that they believe in and live according to the religious beliefs. ~~
--Source: cbn.com-
--From Abiding Word Ministry ~--

--"For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will also be ashamed of him when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels."
--(MARK 8:38) --"Nobody Like you" / Paul Wilbur~~-- <https://youtu.be/mjhhH90CGv8>
~~~~~~~~

--WHAT WILL YOU DO WITH JESUS?

-"I have been crucified with Christ; and I
no longer live, but Christ lives in me; and
the life which I now live in the flesh I
live by faith in the Son of God, who loved
me and gave Himself up for me."
--(Galatians 2:20)--

----"What Will You Do With the Resurrection Of Christ?"
--(PTV/RJ)

--The core of the Gospel message is this: "Christ died for our sins according to Scriptures" (1 Corinthians 15:3).
The Bible says that every one of us has sinned and fallen short of God's glory. We owe God a debt that we could never pay in ten thousand lifetimes because of our sin. Somebody has to pay our sin debt: somebody has to suffer the consequences for our sin. "Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sin." -(Hebrews 9:22).

-You can choose to suffer the consequences of your own sins; you can choose to live out your sentence of eternal separation from God. If you make that choice, then you will spend an eternity in Hell trying to pay off your sin debt and you'll never be able to do it.

OR you can say to God: "I choose to allow Jesus to pay that debt for me. I believe that when Jesus died on the Cross. He died for me. He died to pay my sin debt, and I am trusting in what Jesus did for me to save me from my sins."

What will you do with the resurrected, living, Lord Jesus Christ? Your eternal destiny determines your decision. Please choose Jesus and live eternally. He died for you. Take the Bible as a personal love letter from our LORD. That is precisely what it is. "Whom the Son sets free is free indeed."

We are reminded of the song, "I Will Sing of My Redeemer" / By: Selah and BarlowGirl/ . <https://youtu.be/uOkiyz7vlHg>
-------

--WE LIVE BY THE WORD OF GOD~~

-The world offers happiness through material accumulation: new clothes, a new automobile, an update to our phone or watch. But no material acquisition can make true happiness. True joy comes from Him, our Lord Jesus Christ.

-"Man does not live on bread
alone but on every word that
comes from the mouth of the
LORD."
--(Deuteronomy 8:3)

--One day, when Jesus was fasting and faint with hunger, Satan approached Him and tempted Him to satisfy His hunger by creating bread. Jesus countered by quoting from Deuteronomy (see text).

"Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes form the mouth of God" (Matthew 4:4).

Jesus didn't mean that we should live only on bread. He's rather stating a fact: We are spiritual beings and thus we can't exist on material goods alone.

True satisfaction is found in God and His riches. ~~
---"TEACH ME, GOD, WHAT IT MEANS TO LIVE BY YOUR RICHES TODAY, IN JESUS NAME."
--
--ODB/DHR~~
--"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life."
--(JOHN 3:16)
--"ALL FOR LOVE"/ Hillsong United ~ --<https://youtu.be/hNAti01dDWM>
-------------

--"Therefore, everyone who confesses Me before men, I will also confess him before My Father who is in heaven.
"But whoever denies Me before men, I will also deny him before My Father who is in heaven."
--(Matthew 10:32-33)--

--Every person is required to confess Jesus, individually. Some say, "All of my family have been Christians, so I am
also a Christian. No, my friend. Jesus wants each person to make that decision personally. There are countries
where people are dying for the sake of Jesus and His Word. It must be individually. Many have forsaken their
family to deny themselves and follow Jesus. Below is a true story. Yes, you may lose friends, family members, etc.
That is why Jesus said, "He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me;
And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me.
"He who has found his life will lose it, and he who has lost his life for My sake will find it."-
--(Matthew 10:37-39)
A Christian is known by their lifestyle, words, actions, etc. "You will know them by their fruit." -((Matthew 7:16-20)
There is a changed person, to those who come to Christ.
If that person has not changed, then I question if he/she has truly been 'born-again'. --(See John 3:3-8)


--'Small but Significant'

--"On Him we have set our hope that He will
-continue to deliver us, as you help us by your
-prayers."
--(2 Corinthians 1:10–11)

The day started out like any other, but it ended as a nightmare. Esther (not her real name) and several hundred women were kidnapped from their boarding school by a religious militant group. A month later all were released—except for Esther who refused to deny Christ. As my friend and I read about her and others who are being persecuted for their faith, our hearts were moved. We wanted to do something. But what?

When writing to the Corinthian church, the apostle Paul shared about the trouble he experienced in the province of Asia. The persecution was so severe that he and his companions “despaired of life itself” (2 Corinthians 1:8). However, Paul was helped by the prayers of believers (v. 11). Though the Corinthian church was many miles away from the apostle, their prayers mattered and God heard them. Herein lies an amazing mystery: the sovereign One has chosen to use our prayers to accomplish His purpose. What a privilege!

Today we can continue to remember our brothers and sisters in Christ who are suffering for their faith.. There’s something we can do. We can pray for those who are marginalized, oppressed, beaten, tortured, and sometimes even killed for their belief in Christ. Let’s pray for them to experience God’s comfort and encouragement and to be strengthened with hope as they stand firmly with Jesus.

By/ODB/PFC--/--"The Change In Me" / Casting Crowns~ / -<https://youtu.be/p8TCZiy5A2A>
---------------

--THE SEED Of The KINGDOM~~

"[The kingdom of God]
is like a grain of mustard
seed."
--(Luke 13:19)

--A seed is small and unimpressive. It doesn't appear to have any power. Yet when it is planted, its strength is revealed. Contained within even the smallest mustard seed, God has mysteriously hidden a life that grows into a tree, providing a nesting place for the birds of the air.

So it is with the kingdom of God. The spoken Word, baptismal water, sacramental bread and wine--all of these are rather humble and seem unimportant and small in the eyes of the world. But God has mysteriously hidden His divine mercy under these elements. He plants these in us to reveal and give us His ever-growing blessing.

For hidden under these elements is Jesus Himself. He is the Seed of the kingdom--the promised Seed of the woman, the Seed of Abraham and David. Jesus was planted in the ground and sprouted forth from the tomb on the third day to bring us great and abundant life. The tree of the Cross is the resting place for all of God's people. Like the birds of the air, we take refuge there under the shelter of His loving arms. ~~

"Lord Jesus, give me faith to see the hidden and humble ways You work in Your church and in the world. Lead me in Your path of righteousness."~ Amen~
--"Your Love Defends Me" / Matt Maher ~ --<https://youtu.be/3XOh07KErV0>
-------

---THE CONTEXT OF THE WARNING ~~ / PLEASE DO NOT DRIFT AWAY= JESUS LOVES YOU!

--"For this reason we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away from it."
(--–Hebrews 2:1)

---The book of Hebrews was written to Jewish Christians who were in danger of giving up their Christian faith to go back to Judaism. But the writer also knew in that church, as in all churches, there were some people who were not yet Christians. Many of you reading this have already trusted in Christ, but some of you have not yet made that decision. In Hebrews 2:1-4, the writer talked to those who had not yet committed to Christ. They had heard the Gospel, and perhaps they thought they needed to receive the Gospel, but they had not yet made that final step. The writer warned that those who failed to respond to the Gospel were in severe danger.

What is that danger? The writer said, “We must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away from it” (2:1). There are two key phrases in this warning, and they are both translated from Greek nautical terms. “Pay much closer attention” in the Greek language referred to a fisherman who forgot to tie up his boat at night, so the next morning it was gone. The writer was saying, “We must tie up to the message of salvation.”

I have seen that danger illustrated many times in my ministry. I know people who have heard the Gospel and intellectually believe that Jesus is the Son of God who died for our sins and rose again on the third day. They even feel like they need to trust in Christ, but they never make that decision. They say, “I will do that someday, but I have other things I need to do first.” When people get that close and fail to respond, it is like a light goes off inside of them, and they never come back to that place of conviction. They drift further and further away. If you understand your need for God’s forgiveness through Christ, you better tie up to the message of salvation.

The second warning is this: “so that we do not drift away from it.” The Greek word translated “drift away” referred to a ship that missed the harbor because of the sailors’ inattention. The sailors wanted to guide the ship into the harbor and go home, but they got distracted by other things. That is why the writer was saying, “If you heard the message of the Gospel, you better tie up to it right now.” Most people do not reject the Gospel; they simply neglect the Gospel. I do not know many people who say, “I think I would like to go to Hell when I die.” But the surest way to make sure you end up in Hell is to do nothing. We were all born into this world separated from God, and if we go through life continuing to be separated from God, then we will die separated from God. If you want to make sure you end up in Hell, just don’t respond to the Gospel.

The writer of Hebrews said you better tie up to the message of the Gospel; otherwise, you are going to drift away. You drift away not only through rejecting the Gospel but by neglecting God’s invitation for eternal life.
--PTV/RJ~
[Friend, we are not promised tomorrow. Jesus said, "Live one day at a time, because tomorrow has enough evil of its own." I plead with you, if you have not asked Jesus to be your Lord and Savior, do it now! --" For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God.
It is not as a result of works, so that no one may boast." --(Ephesians 2:8-9) ~~ In order to become a gift, you must accept it. To accept Jesus' gift, we must invite Him to come into our lives. He does not force himself on anyone. He has already paid our sin-debt by dying on the Cross. "Behold I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me. " --(Revelation 3:20)

The Lord Jesus does not turn away a sincere seeker. We must repent of living our lives separated from Him. Ask Jesus to forgive us and to come into our lives. You can do that right now. Pray a prayer such as this, "Lord Jesus, I am a sinner, thank You for forgiving me. I and ask You to come into my life and be my Lord and Savior. I accept this gift of salvation from You, and receive it by faith . Help me to live for You, Jesus. I will never be ashamed of You. Thank You, Lord Jesus. ~ amen ]

---TRUST GOD'S LOVING INTENTIONS ~~

-"We have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of our spirits and live!"
-----(Hebrews 12:9 / NIV) ~

---Each of us has had an earthly father whose DNA caused our earth suit to have his flat feet or crooked smile. Your earth suit serves as a vessel for you to live in while you are here, but it comes with an expiration date. You have a Heavenly Father who is the Father of your spirit, and your spirit is eternal. The Bible says that He knew you and had plans for you before your earthly parents even saw you, and if you are a Jesus-follower, you will live with Him forever when your days on earth are done. Our earthly fathers are fallible people who are usually concerned for our welfare but sometimes make mistakes in their correction. Our Heavenly Father is the all-knowing God who will never make a mistake where we are concerned. We can trust God’s loving intentions for us and learn to respect Him and submit to Him in all things.

**THINK ABOUT IT**
Fear of punishment can discolor our relationship with God as Father and distort our response to His discipline. It might take a process of renewing your thinking, but His steadfast love can cast out that fear and redirect you to a healthy trust in Him.

**PRAYER**
--"Heavenly Father, Your Holy Spirit bears witness with my spirit that I am Your child and You are my “Abba, Father.” Forgive me my rebellion and grant me a willing spirit to accept Your correction and obey You. I know Your commands bring life. Help me to forgive past sins committed to me and from me. Thank You, my Lord, Rock, and Redeemer. ~ In Jesus’ name, amen.
Blessings,
--AJM/AJ~

---SOW WHAT?

-"A wicked person earns deceptive wages, but the one
who sows righteousness reaps a sure reward."
--(Proverbs 11:18)--

--On the clock tower of my alma mater is an Art Deco bas-relief sculpture titled The Sower. The inscription beneath is is from Galatians 6:7, "Whatsoever a man soweth" (KJV). Michigan State University remains a leader in agricultural research, but this singular fact remains: Seeds of corn will not produce a crop of beans.

Jesus used many farming metaphors to explain the kingdom of God. In the parable of the sower (Mark 4), He compared the Word of God to seeds sown in different types of soil. As the parable indicates, the sower sows indiscriminately, knowing that some seed will fall in places where it will not grow.

Like Jesus, we are to sow good seed in all places at all times. God is responsible for where it lands and how it grows. The important thing is that we sow. We are to sow seeds that will reap eternal life (Galatians 6:8).

The answer to the question, "Sow what?" is "Sow what you want to reap." To reap a good harvest in your life, start sowing seeds of goodness.

--ODB/JS

Wherever the Lord leads us to be His witness can only be attained as we put our confidence in the Lord Jesus Christ.
"[Some] plant seeds, some water, but G-D gives the increase." --[1 Corinthians 3:6]

--"Confidence"/ Sanctus Real / <https://youtu.be/9Ay0S51et7c>
~~~~~~~~

~~~~DON'T KEEP WAITING / NOW SALVATION IS NEARER TO US THAN WHEN WE BELIEVED~~

~~"Do this, understanding the present time: The hour has already come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed."
---(Romans 13:11 / NIV) ~

~~~IF I had to give an analysis of the American Church in recent decades, I would suggest that we have been in an extended season of slumber. There is a time and a place for rest, because it is necessary for our physical and mental health. But when we are asleep we are unaware, unconcerned, and uninvolved. We’ve been in that condition long enough. It’s time for the Church of Jesus Christ to awaken to the opportunities of this generation. Not to sit in buildings and sing songs and endure sermons and pretend that morality has transformed us, but to be engaged with the purposes of God—to know there is a reason for us to be here beyond pleasing ourselves, and there are assignments that God has prepared and equipped each of us for. There are people throughout the world who are anxiously awaiting the awakening of the American Church. Let’s not keep them waiting any longer.

THINK ABOUT IT
Seek God’s assignment for you with the discipline of one who knows time is of the essence and with the gifts and wisdom God has entrusted to you. He intends to accomplish much by your hand.

PRAYER
--"Heavenly Father, help Your Church repent of our apathy and disinterest. May we respond in unity through prayer and action, believing You have equipped us to make a difference for the Kingdom of God in this generation. In Jesus’ name, amen."
Blessings,
Pastor Allen Jackson
~~[ Friend, at the close of Pastor Charles Stanley's message yesterday he said, "We are headed [to be] a disastrous Nation (USA), if we don't turn to God." All we have to do is turn on the News or read a Newspaper. It's all bad news. Politics. Please pray for our Country, United States of America. And all Nations of the world. God is not willing that any should perish. Too many people are saying, "Where is the promise of His coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all continues just as it was from the beginning of creation" (2 Peter 3 vs.4).
"But do not let this one fact escape your notice, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day.
"The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance" (2 Peter 3:8-9) == The End-Times are upon us, Jesus will come to gather His Church (people), to live with Him forever.
If you have not confessed and repented of your sins, you will not go to Heaven. "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 heart a person believes, resulting in salvation.
"For whoever will call on the Name of the Lord Jesus will be saved." --[Romans 10:9,10,13]-

---LOSING FOCUS~~

~~'Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus.
But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, "LORD,
save me!" ~~[Matthew 14:29-30 (NIV) ]

~~One afternoon, I was standing on my paddle board, looking into the clear water below. Suddenly, I saw a large, ominous shadow approaching. I strained to see what it was and began to slowly turn toward it. As I worried about the scary unknown, I lost my concentration on my paddle boarding technique and found myself submerged in deep water with my board flipped upside-down. Worse yet, I no longer knew where the shadow was. Fearing a shark would sense my distress and attack, I tightly gripped the board as panic overcame me. I prayed, "Help me, Lord God!" I returned to shore unharmed.

Sometimes, when I'm gliding across the Gulf on my paddle board I wonder what it was like for Peter to walk on the stormy sea. While focusing on Jesus, he was "gliding" across the water as I do on my board. Then, when he focused on the threat, he lost sight of Jesus.

We all will face many challenges throughout our lives--death, disease, or job loss. These challenges can be scary, especially if we try to face them alone. Instead, we can confront them head-on through prayer, Bible study, or by seeking help from fellow Christians. I am always amazed at the peace God can provide during these trying times. Let's always remember, 'Jesus is as close as the mention of His Name.' / Thought For the Day='God hears me when I call for help and delivers me safely to the shore.'

--"Love Overcomes"/ (JesusCulture) - Derek Johnson// --<https://youtu.be/B4eee6S5FlI>

~~~TRADING FUTURES / HUMBLE SUBMISSION TO OUR LORD JESUS ~~

--"Just as you used to offer the parts of your body in slavery to impurity and to ever-increasing wickedness, so now offer them in slavery to righteousness leading to holiness."
---(Romans 6:19/ NIV) -

--It is hard to imagine offering ourselves up as slaves to wickedness. But the Bible says that is exactly what we do when we allow our earthly, selfish natures to call the shots. We are hard-wired to prefer doing what we want to do, when we want to do it. Our sinful nature would think we are cleverly negotiating our future when in fact we are trading it away for a fleeting pleasure. Surrendering to God and His righteousness is a choice that has the opposite result. He has a vision for our future that is greater than any future we can imagine for ourselves. Even knowing that, it’s still not easy to surrender and say, “I am Yours, Lord. Do with me what You will.” Following the Lord in humble submission does not come naturally; it is difficult. But I would encourage you to choose the posture of following Him. The holiness that will result will bring you more joy than any of the world’s enticements.

THINK ABOUT IT
~~~God has graciously given us clear information in Scripture about the resulting benefits of yielding to and serving Him. The path we choose—short-term gratification or long-term blessings—will make all the difference in our future.

PRAYER
~~"Heavenly Father, I want joy that lasts and righteousness that brings peace. Direct me in paths leading to holiness. I submit my will to Yours, asking for grace to not resist or turn back. Because You are holy, I will pursue holiness. In Jesus’ name, amen."
Blessings,
Pastor Allen Jackson
[ Friend, Just as Pastor Allen Jackson said, "It is difficult, and does not come naturally to submit our lives totally to the Lord." It wasn't easy for Jesus. He told us it would be hard for us. In fact, Jesus said, you will be hated by the world, for My name sake. "If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me.
"For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?" -[Matthew 16:24-26/ NASB] Jesus leaves that choice to each one of us. Who do you want to follow, the world or Jesus? We are talking about out eternal destination here. Come to Jesus and live eternally. There are only two choices, Heaven with Jesus and our saved loved ones, OR Hell with Satan and all the fallen sinners; the proud people who did not have 'time for our Savior.' Jesus died to give us eternal life. Please come to Jesus and live eternally in Heaven. There most definitely is Heaven and Hell. Which one will you choose? We live in a spiritual world. There are things and people we can not see. For the followers of Jesus, He is always with us. He tell us, "I will never leave you nor forsake you."]
[Adding song/ "Well Done" by/ The Afters ]<https://youtu.be/lZu7mfYS_VY>
---------------
---------

**Friend,
Our question should not be, "What Should I Do With Jesus?" It should be, "What Can I Do For Him?", who died to give me eternal life. He wants us to go into this world and be an example of Him,
"Let no one look down on you......but rather in speech, conduct, love, faith and purity, show yourself an example of those who believe." --(1 Timothy 4:12) ~
~~~~~~
~~HUMBLE SUBMISSION
--[Touching Lives/JM-]

“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.”
---(Philippians 2:3-4)--

~~**Humility: A deep sense of one’s own moral littleness; having a humble opinion of oneself.**

Every move a Christian makes in this life should flow from a spirit of humility - an ever-present understanding that our lives are not about us. We are here for God’s purposes and for God’s glory. Every encounter, every decision, every conversation, and every task should exalt Christ. The Apostle John said it this way in John 3:30: “He must become greater; I must become less.”

Humility isn’t so much about our relationships with other people, but our relationship with Christ. It is impossible to “do nothing out of selfish ambition” or “consider others better than yourselves” if our focus is on other people. Humility comes from a continual focus on the greatness and kindness of God. When we consider Christ’s sacrifice for us, His unconditional love and mercy, it reminds us of whom we are…imperfect, redeemed sinners.

It is in this posture that we should approach others. What does this look like practically? It means being willing to overlook a wrong. It means a willingness to forgive. It means not being easily angered or offended. A humble life is marked by patience, grace, kindness and gentleness. It does not mean continually allowing others to mistreat, use or abuse us. It doesn’t mean a complete disregard for self. Notice Paul says, “Each of you should look not only to your own interests.” It means that our own interests should not be the driving force of every decision we make.

The perfect example of such a person is Jesus Christ. The four Gospels give us a front-row seat to humility lived out. In Jesus we see a balance of selflessness, firmness, kindness, forgiveness and righteous anger. Jesus had no reason to be humble. He is, after all, God. Yet He came to earth, humbling Himself, for the glory of God and the sake of people who didn’t deserve His love. ~~

--"Dear LORD G-D, When I think of Your mercy, love and kindness to me, I cannot help but to be humbled. Please help me to live each day in response to this truth. I pray Your love and forgiveness would flow through me so my life will lead others to You. Help me Lord to remember You died on the Cross for the forgiveness of my (our) sins, Help me to never be ashamed of You, my Lord and my Savior. In Jesus’ Name, Amen."
--"I SEE THE CROSS"/ Brian Doerksen //<https://youtu.be/K41UdUGlgpY>

---IN A WORD ~~

~~~"He who overcomes, and keeps My works until the end,
to him I will give power over the nations." --

~~~Think for a moment about this question: What if God weren't here on earth? You think people can be cruel now, imagine us without the presence of God. You think we are brutal to each other now, imagine the world without the Holy Spirit. You think there is loneliness and despair and guilt now, imagine life without the touch of Jesus.

There would be no forgiveness. No Hope. No acts of kindness. No words of love. No more food given in His name. No more songs sung to His praise. No more deeds done in His honor. If God took away His angels, His grace, His promise of eternity, and His servants, what would the world be like?

~~In a word, Hell.
--Grace For the Moment/ML~

In order to have the blessed hope of Heaven, we must embrace His Word now. Please do not let another day pass if you have not yet given your life to Jesus. Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." [John 14:6]
"Come unto Me, all who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
"Take my yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light."
---(Matthew 11:28-30/ NASB)

--'Just Like Jesus'/ML~ --"While You Were Sleeping" / Casting Crowns //<https://youtu.be/JrAFg6Ipas4>
~~~~~~~~~~~~

~~A PLACE OF BELONGING~~

--"So that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith."
---(Ephesians 3:17)--

~~PLEASE READ/ EPHESIANS 3:14–21

~~Some years after the tragic loss of their first spouses, Robbie and Sabrina fell in love, married, and combined their two families. They built a new home and named it Havilah (a Hebrew word meaning “writhing in pain” and “to bring forth”). It signifies the making of something beautiful through pain. The couple says they didn’t build the home to forget their past but “to bring life from the ashes, to celebrate hope.” For them, “it is a place of belonging, a place to celebrate life and where we all cling to the promise of a future.”

That’s a beautiful picture of our life in Jesus. He pulls our lives from the ashes and becomes for us a place of belonging. When we receive Him, He makes His home in our hearts (Ephesians 3:17). God adopts us into His family through Jesus so that we belong to Him (1:5-6). Although we’ll go through painful times, He can use even those to bring good purposes in our lives.

Daily we have opportunity to grow in our understanding of God as we enjoy His love and celebrate what He’s given us. In Him, there’s a fullness to life that we couldn’t have without Him (3:19). And we have the promise that this relationship will last forever. Jesus is our place of belonging, our reason to celebrate life, and our hope now and forever.

--"Heavenly Father, I’m grateful that I belong to You. Thank You for a life of hope for now and forever, that I have in Your Son, our Savior, Jesus."
--ODB/AC~~
[Friend, Jesus loves you so much. He died a brutal painful death on the Cross to forgive us of our sins. If you have not asked Him to be your Lord and Savior, do it now. We are not promised tomorrow.
"Lord Jesus, I know I am a sinner saved only by your grace. Thank You for dying in my place so that I can spend eternity with You and all the saints who have received your gift of eternal life. Help me to live for You, and never be ashamed of Your Word. I love you, Lord Jesus.~amen~"
[**If you have questions or want to talk to someone about what it means to follow Jesus Christ, visit SeekLife.net ~~]
~~~~~~~~~

~~~JESUS BECAME FLESH~~~

---"The Word became Flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth."
----(John 1:14)--

~~Let’s begin where the earthly ministry of Jesus began— in the womb of Mary.
The God of the universe, for a time, kicked against the wall of that womb. He was born in the poverty of a peasant and spent his first night in the feed trough of a cow. He didn’t have to, did he? Jesus could have become a voice— a voice in the air. He could have become a message— a message in the night. Jesus could have become a light— a light in the night. But he became flesh. Why?

Jesus came to be near you. Any concerns you might have about his power and love were removed from the discussion the moment he became flesh and entered the world. What a beginning. What an entrance. And what a moment.~~

"Jesus, The God Who Knows Your Name"/ ML~~

[-- --Friend, please, if you have not yet received Jesus as G-D, do so now. JESUS IS GOD! No, we can not figure this out. We accept it by faith, from the Bible, the Word of God. Jesus said, "I and the Father are One" (John 10:30)." They are inseparable. Jesus has been one with the Father from the beginning. We serve a triune God, Meaning, God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit." ~ "For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit (KJV= Holy Ghost); and these three are one" [1 JOHN 5:7~KJV].
What must I do to be saved? The Word of faith Brings Salvation~
"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.
"For whoever will call on the Name of the Lord will be saved." ~~[Romans 10:9,10,13]

You can say a prayer like this, "Lord Jesus, I believe that You are God and You give salvation. I know I am a sinner in need of forgiveness. Please come into my life, and help me to live for You. I accept You as Lord of my life. Help me to live for You and to tell others of Your saving grace, in Your Name I pray.~amen"
~~~~~~~~~~~

--WHAT SHOULD I DO WITH JESUS?

~~WE WORSHIP GOD BECAUSE WE NEED TO! ~~

~~But our need runs a turtle-paced distant second to the thoroughbred reason for worship.

The chief reason for applauding God? He deserves it. If singing did nothing but weary your voice, if giving only emptied your wallet--if worship did nothing for you--it would still be right to do. God, the Creator of all Creation, warrants our worship.

How else do you respond to a Being of blazing, blistering, unadulterated holiness? No mark. Nor freckle. Not a bad thought, bad day, or bad decision. Ever! What do you do with such holiness if not adore it?

And His power. He churns forces that launches meteors, orbit planets, and ignite stars. Commanding whales to spout salty air, petunias to perfume the night, and songbirds to chirp joy into Spring. Above the earth, flotillas of clouds endlessly shape and reshape, within the earth, strata of groaning rocks shift and turn. Who are we to sojourn on trembling, wonderful orb so shot through with wonder?

And tenderness? God has never taken His eyes off you. Not for a millisecond. He's always near. He lives to hear your heartbeat. He loves to hear your prayers. He'd die for your sin before he'd let you die in your sin, so He did.

What do you do with such a Savior? Don't you sing to Him? Don't you celebrate Him in Baptism, elevate Him in Communion? Don't you bow a knee, lower a head, hammer a nail, feed the poor and lift your gift in worship? Of course you do.

Go ahead, Worship Jehovah Yahweh, YHWH, our Covenant-keeping God. Applaud Him loud and often. For your sake, you need it.

And for heaven's sake, He deserves it. ~~

---"Cure For the Common Life"/ML~
--"Heart Of Worship"/ Phillips, Craig, and Dean"//<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b0vgJrka3no>
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

--REMEMBERING ~~

"Greater love has no one than this; to lay down one's life for one's friends."
---(john 15:13)
-----
--On Memorial Day [this past May 25], I think of many military veterans but especially my dad and uncles, who served in the military during World War II. They made it home, but in that ware hundreds of thousands of families tragically lost loved ones in service to their country. Yet, when asked, my dad and most soldiers from that era would say they were willing to give up their lives to protect their loved ones and stand for what they believed to be right.

When someone dies this in defense of their country, John 15:13 - "Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one's life for one's friends" (text)--is often recited during the funeral service to honor their sacrifice. But what were the circumstances behind this verse?

When Jesus spoke those words to His disciples during the Last Supper, He was about to die. And, in fact one of His small group of disciples, Judas, had already left to betray Him (13:18-30). Yet Christ knew all of this and still chose to sacrifice His life for His friends and enemies.

Jesus was willing and ready to die for those who'd one day believe in Him, even for those who were still enemies.

Jesus gave up his life for you and me. What will we do for Him? Tell others of His saving grace. We have work to do. Let's get busy, for Jesus!
~~~ "Lord Jesus, we're so thankful that You were willing to die for us! Help us to never be ashamed to speak up for You. Amen."
-----"REMEMBER" / Passion <https://youtu.be/34dN7-dO0CA>
~~~~~~~~~~~~

---TRULY AT HOME ~ WITH JESUS!

~~“He [Jesus] will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away.”
-[Revelation 21:4 / (NASB) --

~~No matter how rewarding the journey, there’s nothing as satisfying as walking into my own home and sitting in my own chair. As joyous and restful as that experience is, it will pale in comparison to the joy and rest we will feel when we reach our eternal home.
Revelation describes Heaven as a glorious place, and I am curious about what our physical surroundings will be like. But I also wonder about life in a place where there is no need for a wheelchair or prosthetic limb, hospital or funeral home. Can you imagine the joy and rest we will feel in such a place, even as we are focused on the throne of God and Jesus seated at His right hand? When you feel as if you are being consumed by the cares of this world, think about the peace you feel today in the presence of the Lord, and imagine the greater peace we will feel when we are truly at home with Him.

THINK ABOUT IT
When troubles are threatening your peace, keep Paul’s perspective in mind: “For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them all and will last forever!” (2 Corinthians 4:17, NLT).

PRAYER
~~"Heavenly Father, thank You for what You have prepared in eternity for those who love You. When troubles distress, help me to remember: Troubles are temporary, my citizenship is in Heaven, and my home is with You. Thank You, Jesus! In Your name I pray, amen. 'Come Lord Jesus, Come!"
Blessings,
Pastor Allen Jackson
--"The Wonderful Cross" (lyrics)//Matthew West //<https://youtu.be/rGigj_BUgyM>
~~~~~~~~~

--HIS DEATH BRINGS LIFE ~~

--"If anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come:
The old has gone, the new is here! --[2 Corinthians 5:17] ~

--DURING HER ministry to men incarcerated in South Africa's most violent prison, Joanna Flanders-Thomas witnessed the power of Christ to transform hearts. In Vanishing Grace, Philip Yancey describes her experience: "Joanna started visiting prisoners daily, bringing them a simple gospel message of forgiveness and reconciliation. She earned their trust, got them to talk about their abusive childhoods, and showed them a better way of resolving conflicts. The year before her visits began, the prison recorded 279 acts of violence against inmates and guards; the next year there were two."

The apostle Paul wrote, "If anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!" (2 Corinthians 5:17). While we may not always see that newness expressed as dramatically as Flanders-Thomas did, the Bible's power to transform is the greatest hope-providing force in the universe. New creations. What an amazing thought! The death of Jesus launches us on a journey of becoming like Him--a journey that will culminate when we see Him face to face (see 1 John 3:1 thru 3).

As believers in Jesus we celebrate our life as new creations. Yet we must never lose sight of what that cost Chirst. He death brings us life. "God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God" (2 Corinthians 5:21).

-"Loving Father, thank You, that because of what Jesus accomplished on the cross at Calvary, I am a new creation. Forgive me for the times I return to the old things that need to pass. Help me Lord, to never be ashamed of You and Your Word. I [we] praise You! In Jesus Name. amen~"

--ODB/BC ~

--"We Praise You" // (lyrics) Matt Redman //<https://youtu.be/WdYMCjY5Icg>
~~~~~~~~~~~

--A Very Present Help
-[Ruth Hunt]

--We've all experienced the forlorn feeling of being alone in our sorrow--and found out later that God was nearer than we ever suspected. "My God, my God, why hast thou forsake me?" (Psalm 22:1) cried David in one breath, and with the next, "I will fear no evil? for thou art with me..."
---- --(Psalm 23:4).-

The anguish was real. No one could have convinced David otherwise at the moment, but when the pain was over and the healing had come, he would have been the first to testify that God had been there all the time. ~~

-THE BEREAN CALL/ RH
--"Who You Are To Me"// Chris Tomlin (ft Lady A /and friends/ lyrics) <https://youtu.be/7RIWWFxXkDs>

~~~~~~~

--The Sanctuary of God ~`

--"And I heard a great voice out of heaven say, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them,
and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God." --(Revelation 21:3)-

--We and our children come quietly and reverently into the auditorium before worship service. Such a place of worship is sometimes called a "the Sanctuary" in today's Bible reading (verse 17). Many years earlier, when God called Abram from Ur of the Chaldees, He had a plan (Genesis 11:31-12:3). This plan included a people and a place where God desired to make the people what He wanted them to be. That location was the land of Canaan.

God directed Moses to provide the tabernacle as a place where God would dwell among them. Sincere Israelites sought and found God there. God was preparing them for a greater part of His plan. These places and rituals pointed to something more glorious.

God spoke through Moses to tell His people that He wanted to dwell in their hearts. Later God spoke through the minor prophets to emphasize His desire to dwell with His people. (see Zechariah 2:10-11). Then in 2 Corinthians 6:16, Paul explained the New Testament fulfillment of the promise, "Ye are the temple of the living God: as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people."

Today the church of Jesus Christ is God's sanctuary where His Holy Spirit dwells in believers' hearts. What a remarkable privilege to have God come down and dwell in us while we live and walk on the earth! Have you opened your heart to be His dwelling place?
--Beside Still Waters/DE~
--"Reaching For You"// (audio / with lyrics// Chris Tomlin //<https://youtu.be/MC0gpex0DEI>
~~~~~~~~~~

---READY FOR HIS RETURN ~~ ARE YOU READY?

Luke 24:50-53 (NIV®)
When he had led them out to the vicinity of Bethany, he lifted up his hands and blessed them. While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up into heaven. Then they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy. And they stayed continually at the temple, praising God.

--In Acts 1:10-11, Luke adds one more detail to his account of Jesus’ ascension: “They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. ‘Men of Galilee,’ they said, ‘why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven’” (NIV®). I believe Jesus will appear not just on the Earth in general, but specifically on the Mount of Olives. Whenever I go there, I always start my visit with a little glance up. You never know; that just might be the day! I don’t want to be caught unprepared for Jesus’ return, so I’ve made it my purpose to be ready for that day. How about you? Are you ready?
["There is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved." --[ACTS 4:12]

THINK ABOUT IT
Are you reluctant at times to look forward to Jesus’ return because there are things you want to see, experience, know, or accomplish beforehand? Release those desires to the Lord and begin to identify with the next to the last verse in Revelation: “Amen! Come, Lord Jesus!”

PRAYER
--"Heavenly Father, there are things I still want to accomplish in life, but more than I desire achievements, I long for the return of Jesus. Help me to be ready, waiting, and expectantly looking for His arrival. In His name, I pray. "Even so, Come Lord Jesus!" Amen."
Blessings,
Pastor Allen Jackson--"Only You" (lyric video) // Phillips, Craig, Dean // <https://youtu.be/tZHg0U3qjoI>
~~~~~~

-----"Come Follow Me" ~

--"God has chosen to make known...
the glorious riches of this mystery, which
is Christ in you, the hope of glory. -- [Colossians 1:27]
~~~
''HOW TO REFLECT CHRIST"~

~~Therese of Lisieux was a joyful and carefree child--until her mother died when she was just four years old. She became timid and easily agitated. But many years later on Christmas, Eve, all of that changed. After celebrating the birth of Jesus with her church community, she experienced God releasing her from her fear and giving her joy. She attributed the change to the power of God leaving heaven and becoming a man, Jesus, through His dwelling in her.

What does it mean for Christ to dwell within us? It's a mystery, said Paul to the Colossian church. It's one that God "kept hidden for ages and generations" (Colossians 1:26), but which He disclosed to God's people. To them God revealed "the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory" (v.27). Because Christ now dwelled in the Colossians, they experienced the joy of new life. No longer were they enslaved to the old self of sin.

If we've asked Jesus to be our Savior, we too live out this mystery of His dwelling in us. Through His Spirit, He can release us from fear, as He did Therese, and grow withing us the fruit of His Spirit, such as joy, peace and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23).

Let's give thanks for the wonderful mystery of Christ within us. + JESUS IS ALIVE! + ~
-[Recommended Reading/ Matthew Chapters 26 thru 28]
--ODB/ABP~
---"Come Follow Me" // (movie/ (2013) =recommended reading Matthew 26 thru 28)-SPEAKERS NEEDED! <https://youtu.be/3G4unSlU638>
~~~~~~~~~~~

---Believing God's Word ~~

--"He that rejected me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word I have
spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day." --[John 12:48] -

--[Please Read/ Hebrews 12]

--IT IS sad many people profess to believe in God but also believe that the earth is millions of years old. Scientists claim that the universe began with a "big bang" billions of years ago. Exodus 20:11 plainly says, "For in six day the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day." If we don't believe that, we are not believing God's Word as we should.

Hebrews 11:3 tells us, "Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear." There are many things about the Creation and other matters which we as humans cannot reason out but must simply take by faith. As a child I thought I had to understand things before I could believe them, but I came to realize that it is possible to believe without understanding. Truly, it takes more faith to believe that our highly complex world originated by chance than to believe the Creation account in God's Word.

Some people say that "seeing is believing." But we are often just like the Israelites in today's Bible reading who failed to rightly believe in God even after they saw a mountain that "burned with fire" and heard "the sound of a trumpet, and the voice of words".

Today's key verse does not allow any room to disbelieve the words of Jesus. Satan tempts us to believe something other than God's Word. If the devil succeeds, then he has won. Let's not be like the people to whom Jesus said, "Except ye see signs and wonders, ye will not believe" (John 4:48).

--"Thank You, Lord Jesus, that we walk by faith, and not by sight. Help us Lord to believe all of Your Word, the Holy Bible. Lead us in Your way everlasting, in Christ's name. ~amen"

--BSW/FB~
--"Reaching For You"/ (Chris Tomlin) / lyrics) <https://youtu.be/MC0gpex0DEI>
~~~~~~~~~

--STANDING FOR FAITH, EVEN IN THE PUBLIC SQUARE ~~
-By: Cissie Graham Lynch / Decision --

~~~The two things we’re told not to talk about in mixed company are religion and politics. And those just happen to be two things I’m very passionate about. Our faith was intricately woven in every detail of our family when I was growing up, as well as our work around the world with Samaritan’s Purse and the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. And current events and politics were always talked about in our home.

But it was my freshman year in high school that the love of politics really started to take root, as I sat in my political science class. I can remember being so excited a few years later to turn 18 during an election year. While many of my friends were excited about the new adventures that turning 18 brings, I was most excited about voting.
“Some people say Christians should just stay behind the pulpit and preach the Gospel and stay out of politics, but the very first part of the First Amendment is about the freedom of religion.”

Fast forward 16 years to 2020. We as Americans find ourselves in the midst of a very heated and volatile political year. Some people say Christians should just stay behind the pulpit and preach the Gospel and stay out of politics, but the very first part of the First Amendment is about the freedom of religion. Our Founding Fathers called it the free exercise of religion. They meant for us to be able to live out our faith in every part of life, whether that’s in our jobs, in our homes and schools, in our businesses, or even in the public square.

Unfortunately, many young evangelicals have been swayed by the idea that we should keep our faith to ourselves. But I’ve spent my whole life traveling the world with Samaritan’s Purse and the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, and I’ve seen the aftermath in countries where the government attempted to remove God from the public square and how Christians are persecuted. To those Christians, being able to vote their beliefs and live out their faith in every aspect of their lives would seem like a wild dream.

I’ve seen women around the world who have zero voice in their homes, much less their country. What a shame it would be for me to be so ignorant as to waste this opportunity and this freedom that God has preciously given. “To whom much is given, much is expected” (Luke 12:48).

We have been blessed beyond our imagination in this country because of the freedoms we’ve received. We have the freedom to live out our faith in any way we want, the freedom to choose any career we want, the freedom to live anywhere we want. What are we going to do with these freedoms? Are we going to cherish them and fight for them, or are we going to carelessly lose them?

Jesus gave us the ultimate freedom when He died on the cross to free us from sin. Our first goal as Christians is to share this Good News of His salvation with a hurting and broken world. And that’s what has made America so wonderful, because we have been a light to the world. We’ve had the freedom to grow our faith and to grow our churches. But those freedoms are slowly slipping away as Christians are sitting silent.

I get emails all the time from moms telling me what their children are facing in our education system. The far left has an intricate plan of how they’re going to change a generation, starting with the minds of our children. They’ve executed that plan, and we as Christian moms are finding ourselves on the defensive. We have an enemy who’s alive and well, and we can’t imagine how fast and how hard he is coming. Just recently, a mother wrote me a letter about her little boy being sent home with a book about homosexuality, asking me what she should do. The enemy is coming fast, every day, to destroy Christian values in America, like waves crashing on a beach. We cannot be caught off guard.
“We must remember that no matter how this election turns out, we know Who sits on the throne and Who has an everlasting Kingdom.”

Many Christian leaders have been criticized for voicing their political opinions in the public square, but hasn’t God called Christians to all mission fields? Some of these mission fields are in corporate boardrooms, some are in courtrooms, some in classrooms. They’re in our homes around the dinner table and, yes, they’re in the public square. We want Christian voices speaking into our education system. We want Christian voices speaking into public policy that affects every single one of us.

When I go to the polls, and when I speak in the public square, I’m thinking of my children—my little girl and my little boy. I want my children to grow up in the same free America their grandparents and parents have known. We as Christians will persevere in the darkest of times, but the America we know will not survive without the Judeo-Christian pillars that our Founding Fathers knew.

In 1952, my grandfather said, “I think it’s the duty of every individual Christian at election time to study the issues, study the candidates, then go to the polls and vote.” The issues that we’re seeing in our headlines today, these aren’t just political issues, these are Biblical issues. These are sin issues that we’re facing in this country.

Believers who are old enough to vote need to vote in all the elections. The school board race is one of the most important races on the ballot. It’s important that we as parents have a voice, as our voices are the most important for our children’s future in America.

However, we must remember that no matter how this election turns out, we know Who sits on the throne and Who has an everlasting Kingdom. I don’t know if our days will ever be easy again as Christians in this country and in this world. That’s why it’s so important for us to be sure that we know where our hope is. Our hope is in Him who sits on the throne.

--By:Cissie Graham Lynch is the daughter of Franklin Graham and Jane Austin Graham. She is Senior Advisor/Ministry Spokesperson for BGEA.

----SHARING YOUR FAITH ~~

--"That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season."
---[Psalm 1:3]
--"For the LORD knows the way of the righteous, But the way of the wicked will perish."
--[Psalm 1:6] -

--[Please Read / All of Psalm Chapter 1]

---Some call him the “tree whisperer.” Tony Rinaudo is, in fact, World Vision Australia’s tree maker. He’s a missionary and agronomist engaged in a thirty-year effort to share Jesus by combating deforestation across Africa’s Sahel, south of the Sahara.

Realizing stunted “shrubs” were actually dormant trees, Rinaudo started pruning, tending, and watering them. His work inspired hundreds of thousands of farmers to save their failing farms by restoring nearby forests, reversing soil erosion. Farmers in Niger, for example, have doubled their crops and their income, providing food for an additional 2.5 million people per year.

In John 15, Jesus, the Creator of agriculture, referred to similar farming tactics when He said, “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful” (vv. 1-2).

-"I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch and dries up and they gather them, and cast them into the fire and they are burned" --[John 15:verses 5-6]

Without the daily tending of God, our souls grow barren and dry. When we delight in His law, however, meditating on it day and night, we are “like a tree planted by streams of water” (Psalm 1:3). Our leaves will “not wither” and “whatever [we] do prospers” (v. 3). Pruned and planted in Him, we’re evergreen—revived and thriving.
** We are not under the Law, but Jesus came to fulfill the Law. Follow in His steps.**

--"O Creator God, Yahweh, I yield my stunted places to Your pruning and watering, surrendering my dry places to grow green and revived in You. Help me Lord to never be ashamed of You and your Word. In Jesus Name. Amen~"
--ODB/PR
~~~~~

--HOW TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE ~~

--[Please Read/ 1 Peter 4:10-11] --

--THE LORD HAS given believers an amazing responsibility--He has called them to accomplish His work here on earth. How remarkable that God Almighty, who can do all things, invites us to participate in drawing people to Him, helping His children reach spiritual maturity, and caring for those in need.

Being a servant of the Lord means we put ourselves under His authority, listen to His instructions, and carry out His commands. In our own strength, this task is impossible, but when we defer to God and rely on Him, He supplies everything we need.

The Father always equips His children. He begins by developing Christlike character within us. Then, as we cooperate with His Spirit, God transforms a self--centered heart into the heart of a servant who delights in meeting others' needs. And the Lord also bestows the spiritual gift needed for the specific work He's appointed each believer to do.

The invitation is issued; the strength and ability are provided. All that is needed are some willing servants to participate in the most exciting adventure on earth. Join with the Lord in His work, use your spiritual gifts, and make an impact for Christ in this world.

As you open His Word, the Holy Bible and read, Jesus will speak to you. ~~

--IN TOUCH~
--"Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus" (live concert/ approx 10 minutes) // Natalie Grant //<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fzDx_lg0dGc>
~~~~~~~~~~

----A Gentle Thunder ~~

---At the right time, God comes. In the right way, He appears. So don't bail out. Don't give up! Don't lay down the oars! He is too wise to forget you, too loving to hurt you.

When we can't see Jesus, trust Him. He is praying a prayer that He himself will answer. Keep your eyes on Him, the Author and Finisher of our faith.

Jesus loves you. No matter what you may have done in the past, He forgives a sincere and heart-felt repentant prayer.
~~~~~~

--"If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him form the dead, you will be saved;
For with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteouness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. For Whoever will call on the Name of the Lord will be saved." --[Romans 10:9,10,13]

"Lord Jesus, I am a sinner saved only by your grace. Thank You for coming into my life and saving me. I look to You, My Lord, Savior and Redeemer. In Your name. amen"

---"Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus"// Natalie Grant ~
--<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fzDx_lg0dGc>
~~~~~~~~~

-----JESUS IS THE DOOR ~~

~~"By whom we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God."
---(Romans 5:2) --

--DOORS GIVE us access to many places. Some of these are safe and some are dangerous. In John 10:7 Jesus said, "I am the door of the sheep." He is the only Door of entrance into Go's kingdom. Anyone who would bypass Jesus for salvation is a thief and a robber. Jesus also said, "I am the way, the truth and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me" (John 14:6). We must beware of false teachers who seek to avoid Jesus and the cross, and who teach some other way. Peter said, "Neither is there salvation in any other; for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved" (Acts 4:12).

Enter God's kingdom through Jesus the Door, and follow Him as the Way of eternal life. You cannot reach Heaven without going through Jesus.

---"Agnus Dei" // Michael W Smith [live concert]---<https://youtu.be/db0t_NUq5bw>
~~~~~~~~~~

----FOLLOW CHRIST ~~

--"When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee."
---(Isaiah 43:2) --

---Sometimes the trail of our spiritual journey can become confusing and even fearful, and we are tempted to turn back. However, the tracks of other godly men are there for us to follow if we will simply look closely. The apostle Paul said, "Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ" (1 Corinthians 11:1). Each one could look at family, friends, or church brothers and sisters who have faithfully gone the way before us, leaving a clearly marked trail. And the Scripture says, "Take my brethren, the prophets who have spoken in the name of the Lord, for an example of suffering affliction, and of patience" (James 5:10).

Faithfully pursuing our spiritual journey along life's trail assures us of something much more spectacular and rewarding than just a beautiful view in the end. May we encourage one another to persist on the true path, "looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ" (Titus 2:13). Keep your eyes on Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith. He is faithful. ~~

--BSW/PL~
[We are finding that accounts have closed and many youtube videos are being deleted. So perhaps you may need to go online to find the music or songs. Blessings!]
---"When I Lock Eyes With You" // Maverick City (lyric video)<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=34cfWEGD69o>
~~~~~~~~

---A New Creation In Christ ~~

--"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has
blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places."
--[Ephesians 1:3 / NASB] -

---MAY 20, 1972, is my "spiritual birthday." That's the day I fell to my knees and surrendered my heart to Jesus. I can't begin to imagine what my life would have been like if I hadn't that step toward faith.

This spiritual awakening came about when a Christian neighbor had invited me to attend a Bible study class with her. I'd grown up in the church, sat in the pew every Sunday, and heard the Gospel preached, but it was more of an obligation than anything meaningful. This was different. This was life-changing. This was powerful. This was Jesus!

From the moment I became a Christian, my life changed. I changed. I became fascinated with the Word of God, absorbing Scripture like it was the oxygen to breathe. When I did, my mind opened to possibilities. I no longer desired the things I once did.

I might never have had the courage to pursue a writing career if it wasn't for God's love and encouragement. He was the one who planted the desire in my heart from the time I was a youngster. Me, be a writer? Me, write books? I was a creative speller, and my English grades were nothing to brag about. As many arguments as I put forth, He responded with a simply request. He asked me to trust Him to fulfill that dream. To set aside my doubts, my fears.

So, on May 20 I can look back and thank Jesus for coming into my life and be forever grateful to the neighbor who saw a young woman with a spiritual hunger and issued a simple invitation.

"Thank You, Lord Jesus, for Your provision and faithfulness in sustaining me. I praise You for going above and beyond anything I could ever think or imagine. Use me, Lord to be a vessel for You."


--"Thank You Jesus For the Blood"// Charity Gayle (lyric video)<https://youtu.be/p0u08HMS-P8>
~~~~~~~~~~~~

---"SHE DID WHAT SHE COULD"

---"She did what she could. She poured perfume on my body beforehand to prepare for my burial."
- {Mark 14:8] --

--[PLEASE READ/ Mark 14:3–9]

---She loaded the plastic container of cupcakes onto the conveyor belt, sending it toward the cashier. Next came the birthday card and various bags of chips. Hair escaped from her ponytail, crowning her fatigued forehead. Her toddler clamored for attention. The clerk announced the total and the mom’s face fell. “Oh, I guess I’ll have to put something back. But these are for her party,” she sighed, glancing regretfully at her child.

Standing behind her in line, another customer recognized such pain. Jesus’ words to Mary of Bethany echoed in her mind: “She did what she could” (Mark 14:8). After anointing Him with a bottle of expensive nard before His death and burial, Mary was ridiculed by the disciples. Jesus corrected His followers by celebrating what she had done. He didn’t say, “She did all she could,” but rather, “She did what she could.” The lavish cost of the perfume wasn’t His point. It was Mary’s investment of her love in action that mattered. A relationship with Jesus results in a response.

In that moment, before the mom could object, the second customer leaned forward and inserted her credit card into the reader, paying for the purchase. It wasn’t a large expense, and she had extra funds that month. But to that mom, it was everything. A gesture of pure love poured out in her moment of need. ~~~

--"Heavenly Father, open my eyes to see You inviting me to do what I can do today. Use me for your glory, my Rock and my Redeemer. In Jesus Name."

---ODB/EM~~
[Have you had a kindness shown, pass it on....
'Twas not meant for thee alone.
Pass it on.

'Let it travel down the years, Let it wipe another's tears
'Til in Heaven the deed appears~~
Pass it on...."]

--TALK TO JESUS ~~

---"But whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a
spring of water welling up to eternal life."
---[John 4:14]

--My morning devotion was pocked with wondering if I would ever be totally free from dry mouth caused by allergies and chronic congestion and their attendant sleeplessness. Indulging myself at the table of an extended pity party. I wondered how Jesus could say, in the scene where he meets the woman at the well, that I would never thirst again. Silly of me, I know. I understood the spiritual implications, but I was thirsty and the outdoors, the fragrance of honeysuckles and roses, normal breathing.

Them as He is wont to do, the Spirit infused the words Jesus spoke centuries ago, the hope of that "spring of water welling up to eternal life" plumbing a new depth in my soul. Jesus was not promising met the proverbial "rose garden" experience. I'm not guaranteed an earthy existence minus the annoyance of mouth-breathing. Yet His Spirit never quits. He is always there "welling up," nudging us back from despair toward the bliss Jesus has prepared for us. Paul puts it aptly in 2 Corinthians 4:8 (NIV). "We are hard pressed on every side...perplexed but not in despair."

Even if we don't understand how, the all-capacious Spirit of the Living God rushes into the dry places drawing us into Himself. Delighting us. Refilling us--so that the inner spirit is renewed day by day. Suddenly, I saw myself, dry mouth and all, full of the glorious moisture that only God supplies, setting the tone for a lovely summer's day. ~~

--'Holy Spirit, continue to water my soul with hope and understanding. Draw me to Jesus.'

--Guideposts/JFW~
--"Talk To Him" // Chris Tomlin and feat/ Russel Dickerson // https://youtu.be/ocAcy6Wi4No
~~~~~~~

--RING THE BELL ~~

--"Shout to God with cries of joy."
--[Psalm 47:1] --

---AFTER an astounding thirty rounds of radiation treatments, Darla was finally pronounced cancer-free. As part of hospital tradition, she was eager to ring the "cancer-free-bell" that marked the end of her treatment and celebrated her clean bill of health. Darla was so enthusiastic and vigorous in her celebratory ringing that the rope actually detached from the bell! Peals of joyous laughter ensued.

Darla's story brings a smile to my face and gives me a sense of what the psalmist might have envisioned when he invited the Israelites to celebrate God's work in their lives. The writer encouraged them to "clap [their] hands," "shout to God", and "sing praise" because God had routed their enemies and chosen the Israelites as beloved people (Psalm 47:1,6).

God doesn't always grant us victory over our struggles in this life, whether health-related or financial or relational. He's worth of our worship and praise in even those circumstances because we can trust that He's still "seated on his holy throne" (v.8). When He does bring us to a place of healing--at least in a way we recognize in this earthly life--it's cause for great celebration. We may not have a physical bell to ring, but we can joyfully celebrate His goodness to us with the same kind of exuberance Darla showed. ~~

-"Thank You, LORD God, for Your many gifts to me. I shout my praises to You and clap my hands in celebrations of Your work in my life. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made, In Jesus."


--ODB/KH~

--<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=34cfWEGD69o>
~~~~~~~~~~

--Ask Jesus For Help and Power ~~

---"I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that yo may know the hope to which he has called you,
the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the
same as the mighty strength he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in heavenly realms."
---[Ephesians 1:18-20/ NIV ]

---TO SAVE a little on our health insurance, my husband and I signed up for an online driver's safety course. Some parts were a good review.Other parts were tedious. One message was repeated several times: "As you age, you are more frail and more likely to die in a car accident." Frail? My husband I bristled at the description. First of all, we don't think of ourselves as old. Second, we don't see ourselves as weak. But whatever our age, our bodies do grow weak eventually. In small and large ways,we are forced to acknowledge our mortality.

That's why I'm grateful for these verses in Ephesians. Because of Jesus, we will one day rise in glory. Not only that, but He lives in us right now. In the day to day of our lives, His resurrection power is at work in us. He empowers, enlightens, and renews our hope. That is a whole lot of mighty strength! Our bodies may become frail, but it doesn't hinder His will and His work. In fact, Jesus told the apostle Paul, "My power is made perfect in weakness" (2 Corinthians 12:9/ ESV).

--If we feel daunted by the tasks ahead of us today, let's ask Jesus to help us see His power at work.~~

--ODB/SH~

--BEYOND BEING SAVED ~~

--"But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ."
---[2 Peter 3:18] --

---My heart pounded as I carried our limp 60-poung dog through the field. Too feeble to even stand, he had been without food for over a week. His 15-year-old mind had been failing him recently When he became lost in the tall grass of the fields surrounding our house, he had been unable to find his way home. Spotting his black and white form amongst the green, I was able to rescue him, certainly saving his life. The struggle was not over, however, for an extended period of tender care, proper nourishment, and restrictions on his wanderings were essential for his continued survival.

Our deliverance from spiritual death at the time of conversion is not the end o our struggle either. The prayers and encouragement of family and friends, the nourishment obtained in studying Gods Word, an openness to truth, and fellowship with Christian believers are all essential in endu\ruing that our spiritual life continues to thrive beyond the initial experience of conversion. Discipline and restrictions are necessary at times to correct our heart's natural tendency to wander.

The apostle Paul did not consider himself to have attained despite his extraordinary conversion, but continued to "press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 3:14).

Although it is true that nothing "shall be able to separate us from the love of God" (Romans 8:39), "the wages of sin is death" (Romans 6:23) for all who do not continue to confess and repent of all sin. Let's make sure that our salvation is current and based on what God says, not what man says. ~~


-"Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father." [Matthew 7:21]
--BSW/PL~

---STAY TOGETHER~~

--"Keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. " -

--THE Night before the death of Jesus, He prayed for His followers. May they "be one, Father just as you're in me and I am in you." (John 17:21-23). May they "be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me" (John 17:21-23).

Paul agrees. He urges us to "make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit" (Ephesians 4:3-4), and these can not be divided.

We who weep for Christ's body broken for our sin must not tear apart His body the church with our anger, gossip, and cliques. Better to let ourselves be wronged than be guilty of the scandal of church division.

--"Heavenly Father, help me do the best i can to be at peace with others. May I never separate what You've joined. In our Lord Jesus.' ~ amen"

--ODB/MW~
~~~~~~~~~~~~

----DOOR OF HUMILITY ~~

--"Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name; that
at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth." --[Philippians 2:9-10]

---Over the centuries, the entrance to Bethlehem's Church of the Nativity has twice been made smaller. It's now referred to as the Door of Humility because visitors must bend down to enter.

As we age, bending our knees becomes more and more difficult and painful. In the physical realm, some people courageously undergo knee replacement surgery. To avoid years of increasingly painful joint damage,,
they endure several weeks of agony.

Like physical knees, spiritual knees can grow stiff over time. Years of stubborn pride and selfishness make us inflexible, and it becomes increasingly difficult and painful for us to humble ourselves. Seduced by false feelings of importance when others submit to us we ever learn that true importance comes form submitting ourselves to God and to others (Ephesians 5:21 1 Peter 5:5)..

It's good to remember the 'Door of Humility.' The only way to enter the presence of God is with humility.

That's how we honor the One, Jesus, who bent so low to be with us. ~~

--ODB/JA~

---Jesus / King Above All Kings ~~

----She gave birth to her first-born son. She dressed him in baby clothes and laid
Him on a bed of hay, because there was no room in the inn." --[Luke 2:7/CEV]

---ONE OF the reasons the Jewish people didn't accept Jesus as a future king was that He came into world too simply for their taste. Think about it: Jesus was born to a teenager in a small town on Israel's West Bank: He wasn't attended to by a midwife; and He was birthed into a horse trough. Later, when He became a man and tried to preach in His home synagogue, the townsfolk interrupted, saying, "Is this not the carpenter, the Son of Mary...:?" (Mark 6:3)). He didn't have to pedigree they wanted in a Messiah.

Yet, our Lord's humble presentation should affect us deeply. Often, we are awed by the pomp and circumstance of visiting pastors, priests, and bishops-- someone carries their Bibles and wipes their brow with a hanky as they preach. But Jesus was a simple guy. The prophet Isaiah said, "He has no form or comeliness; And when we see Him, There is no beauty that we should desire Him" (Isaiah 53:2). Jesus rode a donkey, ate with known sinners and lodged with outcasts.

I am thankful for the reminder that Jesus loves me (and you). in the middle of my mess. Just as He loves the homeless, I want to make more room in my life for the people the world considers unlovely--just as Jesus did. Jesus died for the unlovely. That describes all of us. ~~

--"The Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world." --[1 John 4:14]
--ODB/PTH
~~~~~~~~

---Trust Jesus ~~ He Loves You!

---"A woman in that town who lived a sinful life learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee's house, so she came there with an alabaster jar of perfume. As she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them." --[Luke 37-38/ NIV]

---Desperate. Exhausted. Hopeless. That's how the woman felt the night she sought Jesus when He dined with the Pharisees. Wearied from the weight of sin, she wept tears of remorse mingled with worship for the Savior. He alone cold cleanse her and remove her shackles of shame. Only He could set her free and give her a fresh start.

She didn't care what others thought of her actions. Their snide comments, criticism, and judgment didn't matter. Her only concern was of Jesus and HIs thoughts about her.

She opened the alabaster jar filled with expensive perfume. She poured it onto Jesus' feet and as she did, she gave him all the pain of her past. "your sins are forgiven," Jesus said. "your faith has saved you; go i peace" (Luke 7:48, 50 IV).

Numerous women have shared their secrets with me. Their stories of abuse and shattered dreams break my heart. Shame and pain break theirs. . But inner freedom and joy comes when they entrust their deepest pain to Jesus. He forgives, affirms, and restores them as He did the woman with the alabaster jar.

Do you have an alabaster jar too? Open it and pour out your pain onto Jesus' feet. Worship Him. Trust Him. He will forgive, affirm and restore you. Oh how Jesus loves you!

--ODB/GF