We are not good!

I was reminded yesterday by a young lady that none of us are good! Kind of humbling when you sit down and think about it! Read this scripture and soak it all in because it is about you and I:



Romans 3:10-18

10 as it is written:

“None is righteous, no, not one;

11 no one understands; no one seeks for God.

12 All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.”

13 “Their throat is an open grave; they use their tongues to deceive.”“The venom of asps is under their lips.”

14 “Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness.”

15 “Their feet are swift to shed blood;

16 in their paths are ruin and misery,17 and the way of peace they have not known.”

18 “There is no fear of God before their eyes.”



Ouch! That hurts don't it? That is talking about you and me! We are not righteous, we don't seek God, we don't do good, we lie, we hurt others with our talk, we shed blood, we don't know peace, and we don't fear God. If that don't make you do some thinking I don't know what will.



I do have some good news and many of you already have it. Jesus! A free gift from God that overcomes all these terrible traits we have. The shed blood of Jesus covers all these sins. We repent of these things, ask Jesus into our lives as Lord and Savior, and then with the help of the Holy Spirit we live for God. We then become righteous in the eyes of God because he sees the blood of Jesus upon us. Thank you Jesus! Thank you.



We in ourselves are not good, but in Christ we are righteous!!!



Tom

Are you ashamed?

This is an important question for all those who say they are followers of Jesus: Are you ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ? Before you answer you better think about it. How often do you share the gospel? Do you find yourself holding back as people down Christianity? Do you vote by your faith? Is your faith first in your life? Do you boldly stand upon the gospel of Jesus?



Paul boldly proclaims he is not ashamed of the gospel below:



Romans 1:16



16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.



I pray this morning we all can say this same thing! I recently asked the youth if they would give their life if they were put in a position of having to choose Jesus or death. The majority raised their hand. I told them it is much easier to say than to do if your neck is on the line. So I ask you the same....would you die for Jesus and your faith in Him?



Now one more important point to consider is this scripture:



Mark 8:38

For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of Man also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.”



These are to words of Jesus. Don't let these Words go by lightly. If we are ashamed of Jesus or His Words (gospel) then He will be ashamed of us before God! Ouch!



So are you being bold for Jesus and His Word? I don't really think it is an option, do you?



Think on this today!



Tom

Is this our nation now?

Just read this before you answer the question:



Acts 28:26-27



26 “‘Go to this people, and say,“You will indeed hear but never understand, and you will indeed see but never perceive.”27 For this people's heart has grown dull, and with their ears they can barely hear, and their eyes they have closed;lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their heart and turn, and I would heal them.’



Paul was quoting Isaiah here to the Jews but i believe it can be said of our nation that was founded on Christianity. We can still turn back to Jesus as a nation but it all begins with me and you!



Oh do we need Revival and oh do we need God!



Tom

Keep sharing Jesus!

Here we see Paul has just told his testimony of how Christ came into his life to King Agrippa. This is Agrippa's response:



Acts 26:28



28 And Agrippa said to Paul, “In a short time would you persuade me to be a Christian?”



The Holy Spirit was working on Agrippa. If Paul would have been allowed more time with Agrippa, he may have been moved enough to come to Jesus. So what does this have to do with us? Keep sharing Jesus to others. It may take some time to get them to come to Jesus. Every second spent on sharing Jesus with someone is worth the effort. In the end it may make the difference of heaven or hell for the person you are sharing with. I prayed for and shared with my dad for seven years before he gave his life to Jesus. Was it worth it? Absolutely!!!!!



So my friends share, share, share and you may just persuade someone to Jesus! If nothing else you have planted a seed! May God water that seed.



Tom

What are you here for?

God has a purpose for you. Everyone of us has things God wants us to accomplish in our life. When we do it brings God glory! Do seek God's Will for your life? It is of utmost importance that you do. I was reminded of this reading this verse in Esther yesterday:


Esther 4:14

14 For if you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father's house will perish. And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?”



At this time some folks had got the King to sign a decree to kill all the Jews. Esther was the Queen and asked to go appeal to the King to spare their lives. In order to go before the King the queen must be called or she could be put to death. Esther was willing to take the risk!



God has called all of us to His Kingdom. We have a choice to come into it or not. If we choose to follow King Jesus then we can come in but then we have work to do for the Kingdom! Are you willing? You are here to serve the King!



Think about this today.



Tom

Death keeps coming!

It seems like death just keeps coming don't it? I am sure you are like me and have lost some loved ones over the past year. Sadly this is life. Just yesterday, I lost a classmate, Henry Moses. Why does death come? Sin. All of us sin and all of us will die unless Jesus returns first. The bible has given us all the details:



Romans 3:23

23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,



Romans 5:12



Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned—



We do have good news in all this though. God loves us. Even though we sin against Him, He still loves us, and has a free gift for us.



Romans 6:23



23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.





Romans 5:8



But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.



A free gift! Everyone likes a free gift, only this gift has love and eternity in heaven wrapped up in the shed blood of Jesus Christ. All you have to do is believe and follow!Jesus died so you can live forever in heaven, don't ever get over that! You and I don't deserve heaven, but Jesus covered your sin so you and I can go! Thank you Jesus!



Remember this from the mouth of Job in the bible:



Job 14:1



“Man who is born of a woman is few of days and full of trouble.



So true! Life is short, be prepared!



Love to all!



Tom

Worship together

Did you take time to go to church yesterday? God expects you too.



Leviticus 23:3



The Sabbath

3 “Six days shall work be done, but on the seventh day is a Sabbath of solemn rest, a holy convocation. You shall do no work. It is a Sabbath to the Lord in all your dwelling places.





Hebrews 10:25



25 not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.



From the old testament to the new, God has always had the design for believers to come together to worship and praise Him. Anyone who says they do not need the church does not know their bible and the teachings of Christ. He established the church and died for the church. The church is not the building but the people who have trusted in Jesus as Lord and Savior.



God has given us seven days in a week, and He expects us to take one to rest and worship Him with other believers. It is very clear in the Word. So are you? Are you teaching your kids this important teaching in the Word of God? If not start today!



God even set the standard for us in the very beginning:



Genesis 2:2



And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done.



No excuses! Get to church and worship with other believers!



Tom