Luke 2:1-7; 8-11; 13,14 {NIV}
1. In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world.
2. (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.)
3. And everyone went to his own town to register.
4. So, Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David.
5. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child.
6. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son.
7. She wrapped Him in cloths and placed Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.
8. And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night.
9. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.
10. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all people.
11. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; He is Christ the Lord.
13. Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,
14. “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom His favor rests.”
Friday, December 23, 2011
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
SATAN: DEAL OR NO DEAL?
So you've got the Spirit, and you're Saved. You've got the Holy Ghost, you are Blessed.
You are Saved and Sanctified, you're a child of God. You have been Slain in the Spirit.
You're covered by the blood of Christ. You're a Good Christian.
If you are any of these things or all of these things, you are truly resting in the Lord.
Praise God!
For many of us who are Christians, all of these things are enough, in fact, more than enough to assure us that we have our place in the Lord.
For those of us who feel this way, the Lord has given me a message to open your eyes, hearts and minds to a truth that you must be aware of.
Read the following, you could very well be blessed and redeemed by this message.
Plain and simply put as given by the Lord, you need to KNOW the Word of God.
Why? Because, you will never, ever succeed in defeating satan unless you personally know the Word of God.
Headline #1: Satan knows the Word of God!
Headline #2: Satan is counting on you not knowing the Word of God.
Headline #3: Satan succeeds in tempting those who do not know the Word of God.
How does this not happen to you, how do you stay out of the headlines with satan? You do it by personally knowing the Word of God.
Jesus gave us the best example of knowing the Word in the book of Matthews chapter 4.
In Ch.4:3; The tempter came to Him and said,
"If you are the Son of God, he said, tell these stones to become bread." Ch.4:4;
Jesus answered, "It is written:'Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God'."
Now, for anyone other that satan, this would have been enough of a counter to end the situation, however, satan decided to get physical, the Word says, Ch.4:5; Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. Then satan said, Ch.4:6; "If you are the Son of God," he said, "throw your self down. For it is written: "'He will command His angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.'"
But Jesus was ready for satan, He came back with this, Ch.4:10; Jesus said to him, "Away from me satan! For it is written: 'Worship the Lord your God, and serve Him only.'"
And in Ch.4:11, we find; "Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him."
Satan said to Jesus, "Deal or No Deal?"
Jesus Christ said to satan, "No Deal!!"
So you've got the Spirit, and you're Saved. You've got the Holy Ghost, you are Blessed.
You are Saved and Sanctified, you're a child of God. You have been Slain in the Spirit.
You're covered by the blood of Christ. You're a Good Christian.
If you are any of these things or all of these things, you are truly resting in the Lord.
Praise God!
For many of us who are Christians, all of these things are enough, in fact, more than enough to assure us that we have our place in the Lord.
For those of us who feel this way, the Lord has given me a message to open your eyes, hearts and minds to a truth that you must be aware of.
Read the following, you could very well be blessed and redeemed by this message.
Plain and simply put as given by the Lord, you need to KNOW the Word of God.
Why? Because, you will never, ever succeed in defeating satan unless you personally know the Word of God.
Headline #1: Satan knows the Word of God!
Headline #2: Satan is counting on you not knowing the Word of God.
Headline #3: Satan succeeds in tempting those who do not know the Word of God.
How does this not happen to you, how do you stay out of the headlines with satan? You do it by personally knowing the Word of God.
Jesus gave us the best example of knowing the Word in the book of Matthews chapter 4.
In Ch.4:3; The tempter came to Him and said,
"If you are the Son of God, he said, tell these stones to become bread." Ch.4:4;
Jesus answered, "It is written:'Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God'."
Now, for anyone other that satan, this would have been enough of a counter to end the situation, however, satan decided to get physical, the Word says, Ch.4:5; Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. Then satan said, Ch.4:6; "If you are the Son of God," he said, "throw your self down. For it is written: "'He will command His angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.'"
But Jesus was ready for satan, He came back with this, Ch.4:10; Jesus said to him, "Away from me satan! For it is written: 'Worship the Lord your God, and serve Him only.'"
And in Ch.4:11, we find; "Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him."
Satan said to Jesus, "Deal or No Deal?"
Jesus Christ said to satan, "No Deal!!"
Sunday, November 20, 2011
Talk To Me, Lord Jesus
This Week's Bible Verse: Genesis 11: 1-9
Now the whole earth had one language and few words. And as men migrated from the east, they found a plain in the land of Shinar and settled there.
And they said to one another, "Come, let us make bricks, and burn them thoroughly." And they had brick for stone, and bitumen for mortar. Then they said, "Come, let us build ourselves a city, and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth." And the LORD came down to see the city and the tower, which the sons of men had built. And the LORD said, Behold, they are one people, and they have all one language; and this is only the beginning of what they will do; and nothing that they propose to do will now be impossible for them. Come, let us go down, and there confuse their language, that they may not understand one another's speech."
So, the LORD scattered them abroad from there over the face of the earth, and they left off building the city. Therefore its name was called Ba'bel, because there the LORD confused the language of all the earth; and from there the LORD scatter them abroad over the face of all the earth.
May the Lord add a blessing to the reading of His word.
Now the whole earth had one language and few words. And as men migrated from the east, they found a plain in the land of Shinar and settled there.
And they said to one another, "Come, let us make bricks, and burn them thoroughly." And they had brick for stone, and bitumen for mortar. Then they said, "Come, let us build ourselves a city, and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth." And the LORD came down to see the city and the tower, which the sons of men had built. And the LORD said, Behold, they are one people, and they have all one language; and this is only the beginning of what they will do; and nothing that they propose to do will now be impossible for them. Come, let us go down, and there confuse their language, that they may not understand one another's speech."
So, the LORD scattered them abroad from there over the face of the earth, and they left off building the city. Therefore its name was called Ba'bel, because there the LORD confused the language of all the earth; and from there the LORD scatter them abroad over the face of all the earth.
May the Lord add a blessing to the reading of His word.
Saturday, November 19, 2011
The Acknowledgement of Jesus
32) "Whoever acknowledges Me before men, I will also acknowledge him before My Father in heaven.
33) But whoever disowns Me before men, I will disown him before My Father in heaven.
34) Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
Monday, November 14, 2011
Blemished Sacrifices - NO!
Sacrifices of Praise -Yes
Our scriptures are found in the Books of Malachi; Hebrews; Romans and 1st Peter.
{Malachi Chapter 1:1, 2, and 6-8}:
(1.An oracle: The Word of the Lord to Israel through Malachi (My Messenger.)
(2. ”I have loved you,” says the Lord….
(6.A son honors his father, and a servant his master. If I am a father, where is the honor due Me?” says the Lord Almighty. “It is you, O priest, who despise My name. “ But you ask, ‘How have we despised Your name?’
(7.”You place defiled food on My altar…..
Have you ever gone shopping in the produce section of your local grocery?
Do you find yourself being very selective in your choice of vegetables or fruit?
You obviously want to get the best for your table when shopping.
(7. but you ask, ‘How have we defiled You?’ “By saying, that the Lord’s table is contemptible.
(8.When you bring blind animals for sacrifice, is that not wrong?
When you sacrifice crippled or diseased animals, is that not wrong?
Try offering them to your governor! Would he be pleased with you?
Would he accept you?” says the Lord Almighty.
{Proverbs 15:8} The word of God says.
(8.The Lord detests the sacrifice of the wicked, but the prayer of the upright pleases Him.
What we find throughout our society and throughout the world is man's failure to communicate with the Lord in a way that shows the reverence, love, and respect that is due the Lord from man whom He has created.
We live in a society that wants to ask for the best of everything from the Lord, receive the best of everything from the Lord, expects the best of everything from the Lord, but gives the least of everything to the Lord.
When Araunah the Jebusite saw King David, {1st Ch 21:20} he bowed down to King David and said,
{1st Ch 21:23}”Take it! Let my lord the King do whatever pleases him. Look, I will give the oxen for the burnt offerings, the threshing sleds for the wood, and the wheat for the grain offering. I will give all this.”
But King David had the reverence, love, and respect for God that would not allow him to place defiled food on God’s altar.
King David said to Araunah the Jebusite,
{1st Ch21:24} But King David replied to Araunah, “No, I insist on paying the full price.
I will not take for the Lord what is yours, or sacrifice a burnt offering that costs me nothing.”
We must aspire to be like King David, we must revere, love, and respect the Lord so deeply that we refuse to offer any form of sacrifice to Him that we have not paid the cost for. We must not defile the altar of God.
Paul of Tarsus goes beyond even the sincerity of King David. Paul suggests to Christians that they give themselves as living sacrifices to the Lord.
{Romans12:1,2} (1.Therefore, I urge you,brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God – which is your spiritual worship.
(2.Do not conform any longer to the pattern of the world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.
Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is - His good , pleasing and perfect will.
By offering ourselves as a living sacrifice to God, we are privileged to know His perfect will for us. And as Peter tells us, {1st Peter 2:4.5} we will be able to offer spiritual sacrifices to God that are acceptable to Him.
{1st Peter 2:4,5} (4.As you come to Him, the Living Stone, rejected by men-but chosen by God and precious to Him-...
(5.You also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
And so, we find ourselves holding the key to open the door to the blessings of God through sacrifice. For unlike in days of old when man offered the body and blood of an animal as a sacrifice, we have a High Priest who has made the ultimate sacrifice for us. {Heb 13:11 -16}
{Heb 13:11-16} (11. The high priest carries blood of animals into the Most Holy Place as a sin offering, but the bodies are burned outside the camp.
(12. And so Jesus also suffered outside the city gate to make the people holy through His own blood..
(13. Let us, then, go to Him outside the camp, bearing the disgrace He bore..
(14 For here we do not have an enduring city, but we are looking for the city that is to come..
(15. Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise - the fruit of lips that confess His name..
(16. And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.
Amen.
Friday, November 11, 2011
Trust in the LORD and do good; Dwell in the land and cultivate
faithfulness.
Delight yourself in the LORD; And He will give you the desires of your
heart.
Commit your way to the LORD, Trust also in Him, and He will do it.
He will bring forth your righteousness as the light And your judgment
as the noonday.
Psalm 37:3-6
faithfulness.
Delight yourself in the LORD; And He will give you the desires of your
heart.
Commit your way to the LORD, Trust also in Him, and He will do it.
He will bring forth your righteousness as the light And your judgment
as the noonday.
Psalm 37:3-6
T'was The Night Before Christ mas
It was the night before Christmas and all over the world, mankind knowingly and unknowingly awaited the birth of the Savior who would be the namesake for the most important event to ever occur, Christmas.
The birth of Jesus was the most ochestrated event that has ever happened.
A virgin was chosen by God to be Jesus' mother.
A man named Joseph was chosen to be his earthly father.
The name Jesus was given to Joseph by an angel.
Jesus was predestined to "save His people from their sins."
Roughly 760 years before His birth, the prophet Isaiah prophesized the birth of Jesus and identified Him as Immanuel (God with us).
Isaiah even foretold Jesus' diet and His disposition.
Following the miraculous birth of Jesus, the world system moved into high gear in an attempt to destroy Him.
King Herod tried to kill Him through infant genocide.
Satan, the devil, tried to destroy Jesus through temptation.
The disciples of John the Baptist who had served as messengers announcing the coming of Jesus questioned His choice of company and the lack of orthodoxed conformity of His disciples because they did not fast.
The birth of Jesus introduced much into the world that had never existed before. The world became blessed with:
An immaculate conception; Satan appearing and being defeated; devine healing; Beatitudes; preaching; disciples; missionary work; parables; death, burial, and resurrection; and of course, salvation.
Twas the night before Christmas, the last night that the world would live in hopeless sin.
Amen.
The birth of Jesus was the most ochestrated event that has ever happened.
A virgin was chosen by God to be Jesus' mother.
A man named Joseph was chosen to be his earthly father.
The name Jesus was given to Joseph by an angel.
Jesus was predestined to "save His people from their sins."
Roughly 760 years before His birth, the prophet Isaiah prophesized the birth of Jesus and identified Him as Immanuel (God with us).
Isaiah even foretold Jesus' diet and His disposition.
Following the miraculous birth of Jesus, the world system moved into high gear in an attempt to destroy Him.
King Herod tried to kill Him through infant genocide.
Satan, the devil, tried to destroy Jesus through temptation.
The disciples of John the Baptist who had served as messengers announcing the coming of Jesus questioned His choice of company and the lack of orthodoxed conformity of His disciples because they did not fast.
The birth of Jesus introduced much into the world that had never existed before. The world became blessed with:
An immaculate conception; Satan appearing and being defeated; devine healing; Beatitudes; preaching; disciples; missionary work; parables; death, burial, and resurrection; and of course, salvation.
Twas the night before Christmas, the last night that the world would live in hopeless sin.
Amen.
Friday, April 22, 2011
Come To Him
If God has spoken to your heart (Jon 16:8); Acts 24:25). He beseeches you to be reconciled to Himself (2Cor. 5:20).
If you believe the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, you now have an opportunity to receive Christ as your Lord and Savior.
You may have never heeded the gospel before, you may be in total darkness, or you may be on the verge of making a commitment to the Lord. You might have sat in churches for many years, or heard the gospel expounded through books, radio, T-V, or films. You might have spent some time visiting our ministry blogs and sharing the word with us. Whatever the method of communication, you have been made ready. Ready to receive Christ as your Savior and Lord.
Without Christ, you will perish eternally. With Christ, you will live eternally.
God has chosen in His infinite wisdom to use human vessels like us to reach you, because we have been where you are right now.
Today is your day, this is your hour.
We pray for the opportunity to welcome you into the body of christ. Share your testimony with us.
If God has spoken to your heart (Jon 16:8); Acts 24:25). He beseeches you to be reconciled to Himself (2Cor. 5:20).
If you believe the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, you now have an opportunity to receive Christ as your Lord and Savior.
You may have never heeded the gospel before, you may be in total darkness, or you may be on the verge of making a commitment to the Lord. You might have sat in churches for many years, or heard the gospel expounded through books, radio, T-V, or films. You might have spent some time visiting our ministry blogs and sharing the word with us. Whatever the method of communication, you have been made ready. Ready to receive Christ as your Savior and Lord.
Without Christ, you will perish eternally. With Christ, you will live eternally.
God has chosen in His infinite wisdom to use human vessels like us to reach you, because we have been where you are right now.
Today is your day, this is your hour.
We pray for the opportunity to welcome you into the body of christ. Share your testimony with us.