Brian’s Testimony

Revelation 12 says that when Satan was cast from heaven, darkness was overcome by the blood of the Lamb and the word of His testimony. When we were born again of God’s Holy Spirit, each of us has a testimony…. A witness of God’s amazing grace. God has opened the eyes of our spiritual understanding so that we can see through the darkness illuminated by the light of Christ

Brian McDaniel grew up in a dysfunctional family. His father left his family when he was a child. Without the stability of a father, and without a vision and true direction, the people wonder aimlessly…. They run wild. Brian was influenced by the wrong crowd and his life descended into chaos, confusion, abuse, and alcohol. He was in and out of rehab, AA, and therapy. Nothing worked.

While on the road to Las Vegas, his car ran out of gas. A beat up white Toyota pulled up and a little old lady leaned out the window. She said, “do you need help?” He answered, “of course.” She said, “get your gas can and get in.” It was many miles to the nearest gas station. As they were driving she said, “I saw you when I passed by on the other side of the freeway about 45 minutes ago. Something compelled me to turn around and offer to help you.” Then she said, “I’m a Christian.” She shared the gospel of salvation through Jesus Christ. When she dropped him back at his car she said, “I’m going to pray for you.”

Shortly thereafter, Brian was arrested on his outstanding felony warrants. While in jail, he began reading his bible. In his cell, he read for two straight weeks and couldn’t stop reading.. Brian came to realize that this hunger for the Word of God was because of the lady who had introduced him to Jesus Christ. Then he realized there in his jail cell that he was the happiest he had ever been in his entire life. He approached the other inmates and said enthusiastically, “Let me show you what I just read in the Bible.”

Brian reminds us that we all need to remember what it was like when we first met the Lord and the newness of joy when he called us to turn from darkness into the light of Christ.

Brian is thankful that in jail, he could concentrate on reading the Word of God and rejoicing in his salvation because of God’s ever present mercy, grace, and peace. There were several felony cases for which Brian was being charged. The lesser cases were dismissed one by one. When his most serious case came up for a hearing, his family had hired an attorney to defend him. His attorney said to the judge, “Brian is pleading “not guilty.” Brian had previously confessed to his attorney that he had committed the same felony violation thirty times, but this time he was caught.

When he appeared before the judge. To schedule his trial, the judge said, “where’s your attorney?” He said, “I fired her because she said that I wanted to plead not guilty. But I am guilty.” The judge said to the clerk, “where’s the District Attorney to prosecute this case?” After an extensive search of the court house, no one could find the DA. The judge said, “Even though there are no attorneys, are you prepared for me to rule on your case right now?” He said, “yes.” The judge said, “I’m dismissing this case.” Just then the DA entered the court room and said, “no one asked me to appear at this hearing.” The judge said to the DA, “I just dismissed this case.” The DA said to Brian, “Someone must be watching out for you.”

Brian camped out at church and became involved in any ministry function where he could help. Brian realized that he owed over $50,000… $28K in taxes and $23K in child support. He said to himself, “I need to find work so that I can pay off these debts.” He went to an interview for a mortgage company, but the interviewer said, “I’m not sure you’re the right person for this job.” Brian went back to the church and prayed. A few days later he was called back for a second interview and the hiring manager said, “We’re going to take a chance on you.”

Brian didn’t know how to turn on the computer. After two weeks his supervisor said, “You’re not the man for this job.” After two weeks of calling everyone he knew, He did not even have one contact who would buy a mortgage loan from him. He said, just give me until Friday before you have me pack up and leave.” That Friday, he got one client. His boss said, “you’re supposed to get fifteen per day.” He said, give me til Monday. That first month, Brian broke the company record for new clients. His phone kept ringing with people who wanted mortgage loans, even though the computer assigned calls randomly to each of the many people in the call center.

After Brian’s record breaking first month, The company’s president met with him and said, “You’re the champ. How did you close so many mortgage loans?” He said, “When a call came in, I would I introduce myself and tell them about the Lord. In this initial contact call, I asked them where they were from. After the call I would look up the nearest Calvary chapel, call the church pastor in their neighborhood, and say, you need to contact this person within two days and invite them to church. Then a few days later, I’d give the person a follow up call and close the mortgage deal.”

Every call Brian received, he said to his prospective customer, “Do you know the Lord, Are you a Christian? They would say, is this a mortgage company?” He said, “Your problem is not about your home loan or your credit score, your problem is that you don’t know how to put your trust in the Lord.”

He witnessed to a lesbian caller who inquired about a home loan. Although he knew that he should not witness to her, he asked her if she were a Christian. She filed a complaint and soon is boss called him into his office and said, “We received a complaint. You need to stop witnessing, and listening to KWAVE on your radio. You also need to take the Bible verses off your cubicle.”

Brian posted only one message on his cubicle, “Pray for our customers.” After he received a second customer complaint, his boss summoned him to his office, closed the door, and said, “we need to talk.” He continued, “you know what we need to talk about. You kept on talking about religion and this is your second offense after you’d been warned not to. You need to pack up your things and leave.” Brian thought to himself, “at least this job has allowed me to take care of my debts.”

As he was leaving, the president of the company came up to him in the hallway and said, “Hi champ, how’s it going.” Brian said, “not so well. I just got fired.” The president said, “I’m starting a new division. How would you like to work there?” He said, “I’d love to. Praise the Lord. Thank you.”

That was many years ago. Today Brian is a missionary to Haiti and God continues to bless his ministry. Brian reminds how important it is to “quench not the spirt.” His infectious enthusiasm and zeal to share the Gospel of Christ reminds us what John Wesley said when someone asked him, “why do so many thousands of people come to hear you preach?” He said, “I allow God to set me on fire with the Holy Spirit and people come from miles around to watch me burn.”

Brian continues to stoke the fire of the Holy Spirit.. He relates his zeal to share the gospel with Jeremiah’s calling in Jeremiah 20:9, “But if I say, “I will not mention his word or speak anymore in his name, “his word is in my heart like a fire, a fire shut up in my bones. I am weary of holding it in; indeed, I cannot.”

We all have a testimony… we who have witnessed God’s saving grace through faith alone in Christ alone are witnesses of the love of God made manifest through Christ in us. He has made us all able ministers of the New Testament. Therefore, let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your father which is in heaven.

…. That together, we may live to the praise of the glory of His grace!

Your brother in Christ,
Michael

The Golden Rule

Jesus did not come to condemn the world but that the world through him might be saved. Then when we receive salvation, In him we live and move and have our being. The first beatitude is about humility… to approach God’s throne of grace forsaking myself and coming unto him realizing that I am poor in spirit. The first unilateral term of God’s salvation is to deny myself in order to approach his throne of grace with empty hands.

Jesus said in Matthew 7, judge not lest ye be not judged. The same standard you use to judge others will be the same standard by which you yourself will be judged. If you correct someone, then you need to see clearly… if you’re judging others by your own self righteous standard, then you cannot see the sin in others… the sin of judging others blinds your eyes so that you cannot help your brother. To help him, first “yank the plank” of judgementalism out of your own eye. Then you can see clearly to correct your brother from a heart of love.

Then Jesus said, “as ye would that men should do unto you, do ye also to them.” This “golden rule” manifests the love of God by showing others God’s grace… From Christ’s heart behind our heart, to love others as God has loved us.

Why is there strife and contention in this world? Why will there always be wars and rumors of wars? The devil’s ploy is to divide and conquer…. He pits factions against factions. He divides our hearts and minds into warring camps.. His purpose is to separate people as enemies to fight against each other. The devil is the thief who comes to steal, kill, and destroy. His ultimate purpose is to separate our hearts from God’s heart.

Where there is striving, there is confusion and every evil work. What is the solution to strife and contention? Contrary to popular opinion, peace is not the absence of war. Instead, peace is the result of the unity of the spirit in the bond of Peace. There is no peace without the prince of Peace. Jesus said, my peace I leave with you, not as the world giveth give I unto you….. God’s heavenly wisdom is opposite from the world’s wisdom. James 3:18-19 says, But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.
And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.

With the heart of Christ in us, we love others because we love God above all. When the love of God motivates our actions, we can do unto others as we would have them do unto us. The love of God will quell the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. When we turn our eyes upon Jesus, the darkness of the god of self is overcome with the light of Christ.

However, the kingdom of self is heavily defended territory. The god of this world focuses on self sufficiency, self reliance, self aggrandizement and selfish self love. To counter the god of self, Love God above all. This is the first and great commandment…. To love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, soul, mind and strength. The first of the Ten Commandments says, “Thou shalt have no other gods between your face and my face.” Then when we have our vertical relationship in alignment with our Heavenly Father, we can love others. Jesus Christ is the one who reconciles…. Who connects our heart with God’s heart. For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.

In Christ there is God’s justice balanced by mercy and grace. The mercy of God is by Jesus Christ’s payment for sin on our behalf. The grace of God is the result of the love of God. Without God’s grace every earthly relationship is laden with “irreconcilable differences.” Only Jesus Christ is the one who can reconcile. Only he can bring back together that which has been separated…. For he who was without sin became the perfect sacrifice for sin on our behalf that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. To reconcile with others, we must first be reconciled with God through the prince of Peace. Ephesians 2 says, Jesus Christ has broken down the middle wall that separates us from God, and makes of Twain, one new man.

When we realize what God has done in our salvation by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone, then we have no problem forgiving others and loving them with God’s unconditional love. For in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for the ungodly.

By grace we are thankful for what God did through his son’s sacrifice on our behalf. Thankfulness and grace are the same Greek root word. Both are the result of the gift of God…. His Holy Spirit.

When two people realize that they cannot fix each other and come to the end of their ropes, then their last alternative is to give the other party to God. Only then can God can reconcile their hearts together in the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

After Peter had betrayed Jesus the third time, the cock crowed and Jesus and Peter locked eyes…. Peter in guilt and shame, ran off and wept bitterly. A broken and a contrite heart God will not forsake. To come to the Lord with meekness and humility, our prideful heart must be broken. Then God can by his mercy and grace pick up the threads of our broken hearts and weave them together again. God will cleanse our hearts and our lives by the precious innocent blood of the lamb of God.

The golden rule starts in the home…. A wise man once said, the best way to love your children is to love your wife. Our first mission field is in our own minds and then in our own homes. In loving God, love your wife and children. The love of God is unconditional… it is not dependent on the response of the other party. Therefore, above all things, put on charity… the love of God which is the bond of perfectness. That we may live in the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace…

… to the praise of the glory of His grace!
Your brother in Christ,
Michael

Give ‘em Heaven

What’s on your heart? Are we seeking to bless rather than to be blessed? Your heart determines what you’ll give. If you don’t have it, you can’t give it away. Even though we cannot fully imagine what heaven will be like, Jesus said, treasure treasures upon heaven and not upon earth. The scripture says, eye has not seen nor ear heard the things that God has prepared for those who love him and are called according to his promise.

It’s not natural to give ‘em. Heaven. A glimpse of heaven is a glimpse of God’s loving kindness and tender mercy… it is a glimpse of the divine love of God. It is a glimpse of turning the other cheek and going the second mile. In this life, it’s rare to get a glimpse of God’s eternal nature.

At the end of this life, the question will be, “did you give ‘em heaven?” When they encountered you did they get a glimpse of utmost happiness and peace with your Heavenly Father?

The devil will distract our eyes from seeing God’s heavenly purpose in the things that the Lord calls us to do. This is why Jesus said, we walk by faith and not by sight… set your affections on things above and not on things here below. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

The god of this world is the god of death and hell.. There is much to be disappointed about in this world of darkness… When we focus on the problems, tribulations, and pain and suffering around us, we will be consumed by the things of this world… by the devil’s schemes to distract us with thoughts of sin, death, and hell.

However, the Apostle Paul said, walk in the light as he is in the light and the blood of Jesus Christ will cleanse us from all unrighteousness. In walking in close proximity with our lord… he will fill our field of vision. Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in his wonderful face, and the things of earth will grow strangely dim… in the light of his glory and grace.

The weeping prophet Jeremiah set his affections on things above… he said. I found thy words, and I did eat them. And they became unto me the joy and rejoicing of my soul. As Psalm 19 says, the words the precepts, the law of the Lord, and his statutes are more to be desired than much fine gold, sweeter also than honey and the honey comb.

Jesus said, ye are the light of the world…. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father which is in heaven. To reflect the light of Christ, we must turn our face toward him. Then when others see us, they will see the light of Christ reflected in our face.

Jesus said, ye are the salt of the earth. But if the salt has lost its saltiness, then it is useless, gets thrown out and gets trampled underfoot. Salt will lose its saltiness if it is diluted and polluted by the world. The question is, whose influencing whom? Are we influenced by the world or does the salt of the truth of the Word of God influence the world around us?

Our first priority is to have our priorities in order…. To seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness. Then when we have our vertical relation in alignment with our Father, we can approach our horizontal relationships with others from a heavenly perspective.

Salt represents truth… God expects us to infiltrate the lies with truth and the darkness with light. Jesus in his authority said, go ye therefore and make disciples of all nations… teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you. And lo, I am with you always even unto the end of the age.

When the student is ready the teacher will come. God brings across our path, those to whom we can demonstrate the power, comfort, and love of God’s salt and light. He has called us to plant and water… to cultivate the soil and to plow and fertilize the ground which represents the hearts of others.. to pull the weeds of lies and temptation. Then God will give the increase at the time of harvest.

God allows tribulation and testing to refine us. Jesus said, blessed are they when men shall revile you and persecute you and say all manner of evil against you falsely for my sake, for great is your reward in heaven. Even though the god of this world, thee devil and his followers will despise and ridicule and persecute those who walk in the light of Christ… greater is he that is in you than he that is in the world.

Therefore, we have been called to freedom and liberty in Christ… Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ has set you free and be not entangled with the yoke of bondage (of sin and death.). Only use not liberty as an occasion to sin, but to serve one another in love.

For even while we were yet sinners, Christ died for the ungodly.. For Jesus Christ who was without sin was made the perfect sacrifice for sin on our behalf that we may be made the righteousness of God in Him. He has seated us in heavenly places and has empowered us with his Holy Spirit and commissioned us as his ambassadors. As His emissaries, our mission and our commission is to deliver a peace treaty from our home in heaven. Therefore we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to Christ.

In other words, Give ‘em Heaven….
…that we may ever live in the unity of the spirt in the bond of Peace to the praise of the glory of His grace.

Your brother in Christ,
Michael

Give ‘em Heaven!

What does it mean to “give ‘em heaven?” Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount was his message from his Heavenly Father to give ‘em heaven. In the world around us, the message is, “give ‘em hell.” The devil, the god of this world, has blinded the eyes of those who are under the control of the power of darkness…. Those who do not have the gift of the holly spirt and are under the power of sin, death, condemnation, and hell. To counter the darkness and sin and death, God gave us his light in Christ… He gave us righteousness and life through his son’s payment for our debt of sin. Jesus Christ did not come into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through him might be saved.

Jesus’s Sermon on the Mount was summarized by the apostle Paul in Romans 12: “recompense to no man evil for evil. Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.” Therefore, love your enemies, bless them that persecute you and despitefully use you. If they slap you on one cheek to shame you, then turn the other cheek. For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ… for it is the power of God unto salvation, to the Jew first and also to the Gentile.

Love is the fruit of the spirit that is cultivated by abiding in the vine… in joining ourselves in proximity to our Lord Jesus Christ. For he is the vine, we are the branches, and our life is hid with Christ in God.

Do you measure your worth by how many you’ve led to Christ? Pete’s church encouraged him to share the gospel. Pete took this assignment to heart. He stopped by the 7-Eleven late one night to pick up some bread for his wife. The cashier was the only other person in the store. Intent on sharing the gospel Pete said to her, “If you died today, where would you spend the rest of eternity?” In a panic, she opened the cash register and bills and coins spilled out on the floor. Pete suddenly realized the cashier thought she was being robbed. He threw some money on the counter for the bread, ran to his car, and left before she could call the police.

Matthew 24 says that in this world there will always be wars and rumors of war. However, the song from Casting Crowns says, The world is not falling apart, it’s falling into place. Everything is unfolding according to God’s plan… he is still sovereign overall. Nothing surprises God… there is nothing that he didn’t see coming.

There is so much confusion in this world. The devil’s ploy is to divide and conquer… to separate our hearts from God’s heart. However, Jesus Christ came to reconcile our hearts with God’s heart. When Jesus saw the multitudes, his heart was filled with compassion… they were under subjection to the troubles of this world… they were beaten down by the enemy’s onslaught in the spiritual battle.

Jesus said, I always do my Father’s will. What was his Father’s will? Jesus came to open the eyes of those born blind, to bind up the wounds of them that have been bruised, to heal the broken hearted… to set at liberty those who are held captive by sin and death… to preach the acceptable year of the Lord.

Jesus Christ is the one who reconciles… he links heaven and earth… he reaches down with nail-pierced hands and says, come unto me all ye who are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest… the rest is in salvation.. in the saving grace of God… not because of who we are, but because of who God is… For by grace are ye saved by faith, and that not of ourselves, it is the gift of God. Not of works lest any man should boast.

Jesus said to his disciples, I have to leave so that the Holy Spirit will come. He will lead you to the all-truth. He said, the works that I do shall ye do, and greater works shall ye do because I go unto my Father. The greater works is salvation by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone. Jesus Christ paid the price of our debt of sin… for he who was without sin was made the perfect sacrifice for sin on our behalf that we may be made the righteousness of God in him.

Abiding in Christ is to be attached to the vine.. to be salt and light, we must abide in the truth of the Word of God and walk in the light as he is in the light… then the blood of Jesus Christ will cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

In order to give ‘em heaven, Jesus said, treasure treasures in heaven and not treasures upon earth, for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus prayed three times, Father, if there be any other way, let this cup of wrath… of sin, death, and separation pass from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but thine be done. His Father’s will is not revealed in the gospels. God’s answer to Jesus’ prayer is in Hebrews 12: Jesus Christ for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame (of the wrath of God, of sin, death, and the power of the grave) and is set down on the right hand of the throne of Grace. The joy that was set before Jesus was his Father’s business…. Your redemption and mine. His joy was the joy of our salvation.

What does it mean to give ‘em heaven? It means to set others free from the bondage of sin and death. For Jesus said, if the son has set you free, you shall be free indeed. Therefore according to 2 Corinthians 5, we are ambassadors for Christ. As his emissaries, his non-secret agents, Our mission and our commission is to deliver a peace treaty from our home in heaven to a world lost in sin…. “Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God.
For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.” (2 Cor. 5:20-21)

This is what it means to give ‘em heaven…. To build a bridge through our Lord Jesus Christ that ye may be reconciled to God…

…. That we may forever live to the praise of the glory of His grace!
Your brother in Christ,
Michael

Two Great Commandments

There is nothing new under the sun. The devil is up to his old tricks. Our sin nature keeps raising its ugly head. In Matthew 7 Jesus continued his sermon on the mount…. We’re all judged according to the standard of the truth of the Word of God. How can we sit in a seat of judgement to judge others? We ourselves are judged according to God’s righteous standard.

Jesus continued, seek and keep on seeking. Knock and keep on knocking and the door shall be opened unto you. Ask and you shall receive. God, our loving Heavenly Father has in store only that which is good for his children. His nature is to abundantly bless those who come to him with a heart to love him above all.

Pete recalls that as a brand new Christian, he went into a drugstore and a book by Billy Graham caught his eye. The book was Peace with God. When Pete read this book he understood the meaning of peace, goodness, and self control. As he read, Pete prayed, God, I know I’m not the man you intended me to be… Lord, please make me that man…. This is a prayer that God longs to answer.

Jesus sums up his sermon in Matthew 7:12…. As ye would that men should do unto you, do ye also to them. Treat others as you would have them treat you. The context of this “golden rule” is hypocrisy. If you want to bless and encourage others, if you want to correct others, then get the log out of your own eye. The log is the 2 x 4 of judgementalism. If we think that we can judge others because we’re superior, then the attitude of self righteousness is the plank in your own eye. Before you can take the splinter out of your brother’s eye, you need to yank the plank of self righteousness.

You cannot legislate righteousness…. Righteousness is only in Christ. We were all born sinners… it’s part of the nature of the flesh we inherited from Adam. Without righteous men, you cannot keep the peace…. You cannot hire enough police. Righteousness is through salvation by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone. For he who was without sin was made the perfect sacrifice for sin on our behalf that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.

The world is obsessed with self. There are over two hundred words in English that begin with the prefix “self.” There is selfish, self centeredness, self aggrandizement, self fulfillment, self satisfaction, and self actualization.

There are only two commandments that sum up all of the commandments in the Old Testament law. The first commandment is to love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, soul, mind and strength. Only in keeping this first commandment can we keep the second great commandment: thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. The keeping of the Old Testament Law starts with loving God above all.

According to Isaiah 6:1-7, In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple.
2 Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly.
3 And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory,
4 And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke.
5 Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts.
6 Then flew one of the seraphims unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar:
7 And he laid it upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged.

In the presence of our Holy God, we are all undone…. In his presence we are humbled and fall on our knees in awe and wonder, overwhelmed by his holy presence.

God condescended to our level…. He bowed down to our level in order to communicate with our feeble minds.. To bless means to bow down… He blessed us before we could receive his blessings and then bless and bow down in awe and reverence to him in return.

Grace is God’s giving us what we did not deserve… it is a gift given of God’s unconditional love. For by grace are ye saved through faith, it is the gift of God, not of works lest any man should work.

The most often used descriptions of God in the Old Testament KJV is “loving kindness and tender mercy.” Other translations translate this phrase as “steadfast love.” Mercy, grace and love is the nature of God himself.

Jesus Christ is the picture of God’s grace, mercy, and justice side by side. God is also a God of Justice… the scales of his righteous judgement must be balanced according to God’s righteous standard. All have sinned and come short of God’s righteousness…. Thou art weighted in the balance and called wanting…. However, Jesus Christ died in our stead to balance the scales of God’s justice… for he. Who was without sin was made the perfect sacrifice for sin on our behalf that we may be made the righteousness of God in Him.

To come to the Lord Jesus Christ is to forsake the god of self. This is a hard lesson to learn… the kingdom of self is heavily defended territory. What brings a man to repentance… to the inflection point of turning from self and unto the Lord? Peter had said, though everyone else will forsake you, I will never leave you. Jesus said to Peter, Before the cock crows twice you shall deny me thrice.

Peter thought that he could follow Jesus in his own strength. While Peter was warming himself in the courtyard of the high priest, a girl said to him. I recognize you as one of those Jesus-followers. I recognize by your accent that you are one of those Galileans who follow him. Peter cursed and said, I know not the man. Then the cock crowed the third time and Jesus from inside the judgment hall looked at Peter in the courtyard. They locked eyes. Peter realized that he had denied his Lord. He went off and wept bitterly. A broken and a contrite heart, the Lord will not forsake.

When we turn our eyes upon Jesus, look full in His wonderful face, the things of this world will grow strangely dim… in the light of his glory and grace.

John said, Jesus did not come into the world to condemn the world but that the world through him might be saved.

According to Ephesians 2:4-10:
4 But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,
5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)
6 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:
7 That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.
8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.
10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, whic God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

…. That in loving God above all and our neighbor as ourselves, we may live to the praise of the glory of God’s grace!
Your brother in Christ,
Michael

Giv’em Heaven

Pete McKenzie 0:01
What’s the what’s the last thing you hear from me every Friday morning? What is it? When’s the last time you told someone to give them heaven? What does that mean? Anyway? You know, I was thinking this week, as I was preparing some thoughts to put together for today, as the Lord just said, Well, you tell him, give him heaven all the time, make sure they understand what that means. So I’ll tell you what it means to me. And because we’re going through the Sermon on the Mount, the sermon on the mount is basically Jesus telling his disciples to go give him heaven. He’s telling the lifestyle of the kingdom, if you believe in me, if you my disciple, if you name my name is Lord, then this is the kind of life you’re going to live in. If you live this kind of life. That means that you’re going to show them what heavens like you’re going to show a world it’s lost what heavens like because you can get people heaven, or you can give them hell got two options. And most of us are used to the giving hell part. Scripture is real clear on that the wages of sin is death, and we live death lives. If we don’t know Jesus Christ, we don’t have a relationship with him. He’s not the source of our peace and our purpose. He doesn’t give our life meaning he’s not the one we run to for strength in provision and protection. And if you don’t know all that, then you’re living life. You’re in the clutches of the devil. We’ve all been there. We were in the clutches of the devil, we were headed for hell. And Jesus chose us for Himself by His grace, we were saved through faith. And so now we have the hope of heaven without eternal destination was redirected because he came and died on a cross. And then he was resurrected. And then he sent down His Holy Spirit, so that we were to receive power. And there was a power to do what give him heaven. It was a power to live the life that he died to give us and He rose from the dead, that we might have it, we’re going to give them something and who are those that we’re going to give them hell in that middle phrase, give them heaven, give them heaven. That means everybody in your sphere of influence everybody that you come in contact with everybody in your family in your neighborhood, every opportunity you have in the best opportunities. So those opportunities is Jesus made it crystal clear, and we’ve been over this, If someone slaps you on one cheek, turn the other, give them heaven. If someone forces you to go one mile volunteer to go to give them heaven, do something extraordinary. Do some is different, do something that other people don’t do. And we have the power to do that. When you receive the Holy Spirit, you’ll receive power to be my witnesses in your sphere of influence in Judea, and Samaria, even to the uttermost parts of the world. So Jesus was basically given us at the end of Matthew 28. He said, You guys, I want you to go out there and give them heaven. I want you to go and teach them what it means to know me make disciples make followers of me make them hungry, make them thirsty, you’re the salt of the earth. It’s interesting. He followed that phrase up with with salt it’s lost its flavor is no good for anything is said to be trampled under foot by man thrown out the door. It’s not salty anymore. It got lazy. It took a vacation, start backsliding, start being casual cultural, not timing, the word not time and fellowship, quit going to church quit going to men’s group quit going for him group, but going to whatever group and activity you’ve been going to, and that salt in over time, loses its flavor doesn’t have a heartbeat anymore for lost people, not spending time in God’s presence anymore. Because when we do in the Holy Spirit’s work, and in our life, we naturally care for others. It’s one of the fruit of the Spirit is the fruit of spending time with him and abiding in him. Heaven is that spiritual place, According to Webster’s of everlasting communion with God in His presence. Now, if you were to ask somebody, if you died today, where would you spend eternity? It’s assumed that they understand you got one of two destinations, Heaven or Hell? And that’s a question I like to ask guys. If you died today, where would you spend eternity? You got to be careful, though, in the context that you asked one time I was coming home from a late Bible study and Susan had told me before I left to go to the Bible study won’t I want you to pick up some bread at Kmart? Not the Kmart, but the quick. What do you call them? 711 On your way home, it was about 10 o’clock at night and the seven elevens have just started staying open all night, and they were getting robbed all the time. So I go in, there’s only one gal behind the counter and I throw my bread up on the counter. And it was attending a church at the time that really measured your Christianity and your worth by how many people you’d lead to Christ. So when you showed up at some group or showed up it was some people at church they wanted to know who you led to Christ lately. So I’m sitting there thinking it was just me and her in here. I think I’ll ask her the question and I threw my bread up on the counter and she was starting to bring it up and I said, Well, can I ask you a question? She said a few died today. Where did you spend eternity? She dropped the bread on the ground, backed up and hit the cash register that thing flew open money’s coming Everywhere

she thought I was at a robber

so I just threw some money on the counter and beat feed out of there God said you gotta understand the context when you

I’m glad she didn’t have a gun these days she probably would have killed him because he asked me if I was gonna die today I forgot killed him for he killed me. But just think about this, think about what what we go through in life. Think about what we suffered. Jesus said in this world you will have tribulation. Well, he didn’t say you might have he said you will have if you look up tribulation means challenge trials difficulties, irritations in in murder, murders and suicides and rapes and abortion, Steffes divorces, loss of loved ones disappointments, aggravations being slighted and neglected being despitefully use being scammed physical illnesses and diseases addictions like food and drugs and alcohol and sex and pornography and sex trafficking and fear mongering all the time. And that’s what we’re living in today. Everything that comes in no matter what its direction is coming from or what the subject is, it’s fear mongering. The enemy just wants us to be afraid and anxious and all the time. And he gives us plenty to be afraid and anxious about if we’re going to be that you will have tribulation. And then if you doubt without Christ, you’re going to hell. And that’s not a pretty picture. You’re a sinner. According to Romans 323, your wages of sin is death, according to Romans 623. It’s appointed under us to die once and then comes judgment. Well, that’s not good news. That’s the bad news. But we’ve we’ve said many times, if the bad news is not really bad, the good news is not all that good. So if you don’t understand the bad news, and all those things that represent hell on earth, in in the last days, you’ll have wars and rumors of wars, there’s always been more sets, the sinful world always is going to have wars, every kind of war, and we have them going on right now. There’s more wars than ever, we’ve never had the opportunity to tech technologically to have a global war World War Two is pretty much a global war. And what we’re seeing is it just with COVID is affecting every country in the world what’s going on in the Ukraine is gonna affect every country in the world. It’s going to spread it’s gonna no telling where it’s gonna go. But you know, I love that line from Casting Crowns in one of their songs says, you know, the world is not falling apart. It’s falling into place. Can I get more than one Amen from the congregation. It’s important that you know that it’s important that you understand that the world is not falling apart from the sovereignty of God standpoint, from the prophetic teaching standpoint, it’s falling into place. Everything’s happening according to schedule. But everything is happening in my life according to schedule in your life according to schedule. If you look at Psalm 139, and we did a week or so ago, he says every day of my life and everything that’s happened to me is written in his book, nothing surprises God, nothing catches him off guard. So the sermon on Mount teaches us Kingdom living in teaches us to be disciple makers to go and make disciples to go and share your faith. And we’ll say it over and over again. The best way to share your faith is in the hard times of difficult times, times that aren’t fun times that are hard to get through. Like when you’ve been slapped on the cheek, or backhanded or put down or forced to do something you don’t want to do. How do you respond when you’re belittled and made fun of and humiliated? How

do you respond when you’re slighted and neglected? When you don’t get what you deserve? And they’re not responding and reciprocating? How do you respond when they don’t value you and they criticize you? How do you respond? That’s, you’re going to give them hell are you going to give them heaven? It’s you and I both have to decide that and Jesus is saying in the Sermon on the Mount give them heaven and John 15 He showed us how to do that he said If you abide in me and my word abides in you you’ll bear much fruit and here’s why. apart from me you can’t do this the you won’t bear that fruit apart from me you can do nothing eternal or last enter nothing that’s going to lead someone to heaven that’s going to make them wonder why do you have peace when there’s you just had that loss that loss that job got scammed caught the head that disease had that financial downturn. How could you have such peace and joy? When you spend your time in God’s presence? He gives you a bit of heaven. What does that look like? If you abide in me and my word imagine you you bear much fruit, the fruit of the Spirit, love and joy and peace and goodness and gentleness and kindness and self control. That’s a bit of heaven. That’s what happens gonna be like there won’t be any tears in heaven. There won’t be any scamming in heaven. No sex trafficking, there won’t be any political shenanigans going on. won’t be any injustices won’t be any calling good, evil and evil, good. None of that in heaven. And we get a chance to spread that around here on Earth. I love em, bounce quote. And he quoted from the verse when he saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion, they were going through it, just like we are today. Every generation for 1000s of years has been going through it ever since the garden, ever since a fall in the garden, and man got us in nature. We’ve had hell on earth, we had the first murder between Cain and Abel. And it’s been going downhill ever since. That’s all man can do war, kill Rob still rate murder, divorce, war, in go to war. That’s what the natural human sinful nature does. And he saw the multitudes and he moved was moved with compassion. So God can be moved with judgment on centers, but he can also be moved by compassion. And he had to be moved by compassion. We looked down and saw a bunch of thievin Murdering warring people. And I got a feeling on his way from his throne in heaven to be born in a manger, the angels just said, you’re going down there and save those guys. You know what they’re doing, you know how they’re living, you know, how they’re talking, you know, they’re treating each other, you know, the stuff that’s going on, and you’re going to go down there and suffer and die for them, you’re going to hang on a cross, you’re going to take their place what they deserve. And he says, Absolutely, around us as a world lost in sin above us as a god willing and able to say, now who’s got a God like that? A god who’s willing and able to save people that don’t deserve it. They deserve hell. We deserve punishment. We deserve everything we get from a fallen world. But we have a God who’s willing and able to save. Now it’s ours to build a bridge that links heaven. And Earth in prayer is a mighty instrument that does the work if we do our part, God will do his part. So what he’s saying is, you guys need to be praying for those that are your enemies. Are you praying for your wife? Sometimes he looked like the only thing between you and complete happiness is her but she feels even stronger about that with you. wasn’t for him, I be completely happy.

So when you’re at odds with her and things aren’t going well, and she’s not appreciating you like you need to be and deserve he praying for you link in heaven and earth with her? Do you pray over her and for her and with her, that’s your job as a husband, that’s your job description, not when she’s cooperative and doing what you want and easy to get along with. In Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount made that crystal clear. You guys just love those who love you. What good is that? Even tax gatherers can do that anybody can do that. You don’t need anything supernatural, you don’t need anything extra special to love those who love you. What do you do more than others? That’s a convicting question. And God expects us to do more than others, others, those others or others that are lost, that don’t have the Holy Spirit that don’t have the word of God, don’t have the fellowship of the brethren, but we have it. But if we’re going to be on our game, if we’re going to be given him heaven, we’re going to have to be doing the things we talk about every week, we remind each other this, you’re going to have to spend time in God’s presence, you’re going to have to be that tree planted by liver rivers of water and streams of living water that bears its fruit in its season is leaf does not wither in whatever he does prospers. God expects us to bear the fruit of the Spirit in our lives with those who we love the most. And the least he expects us to do that. He didn’t down the cross. So we could be just like the Pharisees and the scribes. He died on the cross so we could be conformed to His image through the power of the Holy Spirit, so that we can give people heaven, a glimpse of heaven, a taste of it, when they deserve bad, but you give them good, it’ll change your life. And I see it in marriages all the time. People loving those who love them when they love them and not loving those when they don’t love them. They’re violating your rights and not meeting your expectations. And so you make them pay, you pout, you criticize, you get mad and angry, you get even vengeful, you shut down. You Stonewall, you could criticize and feel contempt, all those games that we play for Christ and God says Don’t live like that. But if you’re not going to live like that you have to live in me you have to abide in me stay with me in prayer is the answer. And that’s what he and bounds was saying. It’s ours to build a bridge that links heaven and earth. So God’s Jesus said to His disciples, Go out there and build a bridge. build bridges between you and others don’t see being slighted and hurt and neglected and criticized and ridiculed and accused falsely don’t see that his attacks of the devil see that as opportunities to make a build a bridge between heaven and earth with that person. It’s an opportunity to build that bridge. But if you haven’t been in prayer, what men need and what people need is what we need. They need grace, unmerited favor. They don’t deserve it, but you’re going to give them anyway. You’re not going to punish them. You’re not going to melt emotionally blackmail them, you’re not going to pout you’re not going to get even you’re not I’m going to Stonewall, you’re going to give them heaven, you’re going to build that bridge. But don’t the only way you can build that bridge is spending time in his presence. If you’re not confessing sin every day, for instance, thought word deed, every day all day, we got to be on our game. Lord, I hadn’t, I shouldn’t have said that shouldn’t have thought that shouldn’t have done that. And so you confess it to him, and he forgives you. And he gives you grace instead of judgment. He gives you grace. Instead of paying you upfront and punishing you, it gives you grace, you know what it does, it makes you not want to do it. You don’t want to do that again. Because that grace feels really good. And you don’t want to put him in a position of always having to give you grace, you want to be obedient. But then when others hurt you and offend you, like you’ve offended him, and you don’t give grace because you have no grace to give because you haven’t been confessing your sin. And where do you get grace to give you get it when you receive it from him. And then you have some to give away to others. And if you don’t, if you’re not getting Grace everyday from God, you’re not having Getting Grace to give you’re giving judgment, you’re trying to look at the speck in their eye and forget and you got to log in years. We went over that a few weeks ago. So there’s no getting around. That if you want to bear fruit, you’re gonna have to spend time in my presence, you’re gonna have to plant your tree by the living water of the word and prayer and be around chain hanging out on the screen door men who love Jesus more than you do. And you want people hanging on your screen door near the salt of the earth. Jesus said, You ally to the world, well let your light shine, don’t put it under a bush to let your salt be soft and make them thirsty. The only reason our culture is not down the tube sooner than later is because we’ve got salty people out there. That’s a preservative that believe in morals and goodness, they believe in law abiding, they believe in courtesy and respect. And that’s a preservative in our culture that makes it bearable, booed, that we’ve been losing ground in that in the last 50 6070 years in America. It’s all about us now. And we have to fight. Because that’s naturally appealing to our sinful nature. Well, we have to fight not to be caught up in that you have to fight by being in the word and being reminded it’s not about you, in a sense, what God was saying to His Son, Jesus in the garden of God 70 When Jesus was asking him in his human feelings, Lord, if there’s any way this cup could pass from me let it pass. And his son was saying No, son, if we’re gonna give them heaven, you’re gonna have to pay the price. I can’t take this cup from you, you’re gonna have to drink it to the dregs Father, if there’s any way I’ll ask you one another time. No son, you have to drink this cup, we all have to drink the cup, if we’re going to give them heaven, there’s a price that has to be paid. And that means dying to yourself. If you’re going to give people heaven, you’re going to have to die to your wants your ways, your plans, your preferences is is you got to be crucified with Christ. The way Paul put it, he didn’t say just be crucified. He said, be crucified with Christ, Christ was crucified for a purpose. And so if you’re going to say no to yourself, you’re going to deny yourself, you’re going to crucify yourself, you got to do it for a purpose, this worth dying for Jesus thought we were worth dying for. And you’ll never crucify your flesh. You’ll never crucify your rights, your ways me and all about you, you’ll never quit being so sensitive to how others treat you if you don’t have a great purpose in it. And Paul had a great purpose. He said, I’m crucified with Christ, and it’s no longer I who live, I have to die, data, my way data, my preferences, data, my rights, my expectations, and it’s no longer I who live in the reason I’m doing this. So Christ can live in me, he can’t come and live in a selfish heart. You cannot hold on to bitterness and God at the same time, you can’t be bitter at others, and vengeful at others and upset with others and unforgiving toward others and still have a relationship with God. You have to clean that out of your heart. You have to get to a place where you’re dying, you’re not looking backwards, you’re not looking at all the family of origin wounds, you’re not letting that trip you up and keep you from being the man of God, God died to give make you you’re not overly sensitive about how you’re treated. You don’t get mad easily. You don’t get offended, but you have to have a great purpose. If you’re going to do that. You won’t just die to yourself because Jesus said to yourself, you’ll die to yourself when you say I want to be like Christ. And to be like Christ, I’m gonna have to give that up. I’m gonna have to deny it. I’m gonna have to die to it. Have you died to do you have a greater purpose in yourself that makes it worth dying and saying no to your flesh. It’s no longer I who live but Christ lives in me in the life that I now live in the flesh. I live by faith and that faith has an object. It’s the Son of God, faith in the Son of God who loved me and delivered himself up for me. He’s not asking me to do anything he had done. He gave Himself He died on the cross. He said no to himself. He said no to his rights he had he had every right to call every 10,000 Angels and come wipe the Romans out and the Pharisees out but he told Peter to put up his sword. He said Peter, I got to do this. And he went to the cross. He had a great purpose in that and the purpose of your go look in the mirror and you To find the purpose, it was about you and me, it was about us sitting here today saved him forgiving because of what he was willing to do. And that was his great purpose, salvation and give people an opportunity to go to heaven instead of hell. And he gave us a great plan of salvation. So today when you get out there, and I finish this message today, and I say, get out there and give him heaven, why don’t we do some business right now? So you can make sure you do that? What is it that God is speaking to your heart right now about that you

need to die to that you need to confess that you need to get rid of that you that person you haven’t forgiven, maybe that’s it, that sin, it’s habitual, that just keeps you in chain in bondage. And maybe you need to do one more time going to him confessing that sin, saying God cleaned my heart, set me free, and God lives to set us free. He said Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed him if you continue in My word, and you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free. What’s the truth? Truth because God loves you, He died on the cross for you. He has a plan for your life. He wants to use you to be able to bridge between heaven and earth between people in your life. That’s the truth. He said, I’m that way, I’m the truth. I’m the life and they answered him were Abraham’s descendants. We’ve never yet been enslaved anyone, how do you say we shall become free and Jesus said Truly, truly I say to you, anyone who commit sin as a slave to sin, you get free of being a slave to sin, sin is given being a slave to sin is habitual sin that you haven’t shaken off the to own god to break in your life. It’s keeping you from building bridges between heaven and earth with people. The slave does not remain in the house forever, the sun does remain forever. So if the sun sets you free, you are free indeed, in that a wonderful thought you could be free indeed, not that you’re never going to send this out of heaven, you’re gonna see and I’m going to say and we all sin, but you’re not gonna habitually sin, you’re not going to sin without confessing it, you’re not going to fight it and fight through so you can be free indeed, and give, give them heaven out there. So God can work in your heart and give you a heart for those people that you hate now that are running our country that are tearing it apart. They’re all slaves of sin. And Jesus died for them to figure out how to build bridges between us and them, between them and Jesus Christ. God’s given us a wonderful commission, a wonderful opportunity, a wonderful job. It’s ours. We have a God a world it’s going to hell in a handbasket. We have a God who’s willing and able to save in hours is to build a bridge between heaven and earth. So someone says now for what do you do, I build bridges. I give them heaven. That’s who I am. That’s what I do. Because that’s what my Savior did. And I want to be like him. I’m a bridge builder. That can be your identity. That’s who you are. That’s why you’re here that gives your life meaning and purpose. So let’s do some business right now. We might as well before we get out of here, do something that’s going to settle something for you right now with the Lord and be a bridge builder, so that you can go out there and give them heaven without the devil having some handle on you. Scott shared with me today about a guy that says live your life without handles. Because if you have a handle, they can grab it and pull you down easily. You got handles in your life you need to get rid of today. The devil can’t come along and grab and say you’re guilty. And you can’t say I’m not because you are you haven’t gone and confessed that you haven’t taken care of it with the Lord. But if you have no handle, he has nothing to grab so that when he comes in accuses you, you’re not falling for his trap. He said, take that up with my savior. I’ve already taken up with him. He’s my attorney, you want to mess with me, you go mess with him. He’s already forgiven that. You can’t convict me of that anymore. Let’s take 30 seconds and you do whatever dealing you need to do with the Lord. And Lord, we pause because we want to be free indeed, want to be bridge builders, we want to give him heaven. We want to live a life that people are hungry with the light of the world and be the salt of the earth want to go out there and fulfill the purpose and mission you gave us and the reason we’re here we don’t want to be forgetting that we get in that pit that we fight an alligator so hard we forget we’re supposed to clean out the swamp. We forget who we are who were reminded today a fresh in a new and we want to go out there and just imagine what we can do is all the men in this room became bridge builders today and we could actually doubt ourselves so that you can live in us and do everything that you died to give us as far as turning the other cheek and go into second mile and given them heaven. Help us do that you will you have and will follow you and give you all the glory and the credit because you alone are worthy and all God’s men said give them heaven out there guys.

“If I were the Devil…”

God’s Word reminds us to look around and see the troubles of this world from a spiritual perspective… for from God’s viewpoint of eternity we are already seated with him in heavenly places. We do not perceive the distresses of this world as others who have no hope…. For I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that he is able to keep that spiritual deposit which he’s committed unto me against that day of the Lord… that day of God’s righteous judgement.

The kingdom of self is heavily defended territory…. The spiritual stronghold of self can only be breached by the spirt of God in Christ in us… For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but spiritual to the pulling down of spiritual strongholds…. Casting down imaginations and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God and bringing every thought captive to the obedience of Christ.

It’s difficult to get Christian men to commit to follow in the footsteps of our Lord. However, a disciple is a disciplined follower of Jesus Christ. Therefore as ye have received Christ Jesus the Lord so walk ye in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.

To fight The spiritual battle , Ephesians Chapter 6:10-12 says: Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.
Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

The devil schemes to separate our hearts from God’s heart. He questions God’s commandments. He shows the bait but hides the hook. He said to Eve, If you eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, you will not surely die…. Instead you’ll be like God knowing good and evil. God doesn’t love you and his word is not true…. Eve succumbed to the devil’s lies when she doubted the Word of God and the love of God.

Paul Harvey said these prophetic words in his radio program “The Rest of the Story” in 1965:

“If I were the Devil….. if I were the Prince of Darkness I’d want to engulf the whole world in darkness. And I would have a third of it’s real estate and four-fifths of it’s population. But I wouldn’t be happy until I had seized the ripest apple on the tree, thee.

So I’d set about however necessary to take over the United States.

I’d subvert the churches first, I’d begin with a campaign of whispers. With the wisdom of a serpent I would whisper to you as I whispered to Eve, “Do as you please.”

To the young I would whisper that the Bible is a myth, I would convince them that man created God instead of the other way around. I would confide that what’s bad is good and what’s good is.. ‘square’.

And the old, I would teach to pray after me…. “Our Father, which art in Washington.”

And then I’d get organized. I’d educate authors in how to make lurid literature exciting so that anything else would appear dull and uninteresting. I’d threaten TV with dirtier movies and vice versa.

I’d peddle narcotics to whom I could,
I’d sell alcohol to ladies and gentlemen of distinction,
I’d tranquilize the rest with pills.

If I were the Devil I’d soon have families at war with themselves, churches at war with themselves, and nations at war with themselves.
Until each in it’s turn, was consumed.

And with promises of higher ratings, I’d have mesmerizing media fanning the flames.

If I were the Devil I would encourage schools to refine young intellects but neglect to discipline emotions, just let those run wild!
Until before you knew it, you’d have drug sniffing dogs and metal detectors at every schoolhouse door.

Within a decade, I’d have prisons overflowing, I’d have judges promoting pornography.

Soon I could evict God from the courthouse,
Then from the schoolhouse,
And then from the houses of congress.

And in His own churches I would substitute psychology for religion, and deify science.

I would lure priests and pastors into misusing boys and girls and church money.

If I were the Devil I’d make the symbol of Easter an egg and the symbol of Christmas…. a bottle.

If I were the Devil I would take from those who have, and give to those who wanted, until I had killed the incentive of the ambitious.

And what will you bet… I couldn’t get whole states to promote gambling, as the way to get rich.

I would caution against extremes:
In hard work
In patriotism
In moral conduct

I would convince the young that marriage is old fashioned, that swinging is more fun. That what you see on TV, is the way to be.

And thus I could undress you in public, and I could lure you into bed, with diseases for which there is no cure…..

In other words if I were the Devil I’d just keep right on doing what he’s doing.”

The devil says, don’t follow the Lord, instead march to your own drumbeat of your own cadence…. Just be a casual Christian. Don’t over-commit… do what you want to do when you want to do it ….. if it feels good do it. Motivate yourself by the world’s priorities…. The pursuit of happiness through wealth, fame, and fortune, and self-satisfaction.

Robert Unger wrote a pamphlet about coming home. He described a house with a living room, a bed room, a dining room, a kitchen and a storage attic, and a den. There is a library with easy chairs and books. The Lord said, lets spend a few minutes each morning for a little time together. You start to get to know the Lord. One morning, you need to get to work for an early morning meeting. You don’t have time to visit the library to spend time with the Lord. As the affairs of life take a priority, you rush out of the house to make your commitments at work. Then after a few weeks you walk by the library and notice that Jesus is sitting in the easy chair. He says, I’ve missed you. Only Jesus Christ can balance grace and truth.

Jesus said, I’ve notice that at work you took liberty with your business dealings… you stretched the truth… you were not dealing in good faith as you had before. When you spent time with me you were blessed in blessing others from a heart that loves me and loves others…. What has happened to your heart?

Christianity is not a casual pursuit once a week on Sunday morning. Jesus said, “walk with me.” Regarding the daily walk with our Lord, Jesus said, apart from me you can do nothing… You can’t do life on your own… You need me and the fellowship of Christian believers in the body of Christ… those whom the Lord has called out from the darkness of this world to walk in the light…. This is why the scripture says, walk in light as he is in the light and the blood of Jesus Christ will cleanse us from all unrighteousness,

Therefore, take no thought about tomorrow, for tomorrow will take care of the things of tomorrow… sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof. Walk with me… each day is a day’s journey… walk with me one step at a time and one day at a time.

Life is like a train. There is an engine, representing faith, a coal car, representing the spirit, and a caboose which represents feelings. If you’re led by the caboose of feelings, then the train will derail. The engine of faith must pull the load…. For neither uncircumcision, nor uncircumcision availeth any thing, but believing faith which worketh in love.

After David was confronted about his sin with Bathsheba, he wrote a psalm of repentance: Lord, you know my every thought and have numbered the hairs of my head… search me O God and know my heart and see if there be any hurtful way of unrighteousness thing in me… Cleanse me and lead me in your way everlasting.

When we get to the end of the rope, in desperation we will come to the realization that when he’s all we’ve got, he’s all we need. As Mother Theresa said, God works best with nothing…. I must decrease that he may increase to the point that it’s all of thee and none of me.

As the psalmist said, Blessed is the man who walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor siteth in the seat of the scornful…. Why? Because his delight is in the law of the Lord and in his law doth he meditate day and night… What will this produce? He shall be like a tree that is planted by the rivers of water that bringeth forth his fruit in due season… his leaf also shall not wither, but what he doeth shall prosper.

We live for the ones we love. when we love God above all, it’s no burden to do that which is well pleasing, acceptable unto him. Therefore, cleanse my heart O lord… make me a vessel of thy peace… that the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart may be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength and my redeemer…

That we may ever live to the praise of the glory of Thy grace!
Your brother in Christ,
Michael