Greed!

Have you taken a look around at the greed in our society? Always wanting more, more, more! We need to even look at ourselves...need the newest phone, newer car, better house, bigger TV, newest tennis shoes, and the list keeps going. What does God have to say about this?

Ecclesiastes 5:10-12
10 He who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor he who loves wealth with his income; this also is vanity. 11 When goods increase, they increase who eat them, and what advantage has their owner but to see them with his eyes? 12 Sweet is the sleep of a laborer, whether he eats little or much, but the full stomach of the rich will not let him sleep.

We never have enough so we think! No matter what we have we are never satisfied! Matter of fact we worry so much about our greed we don't even sleep well! Wow!

So how do we cure this sinfulness?

Philippians 4:11
11 Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content.

Be content with what you have! Paul lived in all areas of life. He had it all, he had middle road, and at times he had nothing. He learned the key to it all in the verse above...be content with where God has you! You are there for a purpose to glorify God! Are we in love with God enough to be content no matter what? Do we trust God that much?

1 Timothy 6:6
6 But godliness with contentment is great gain,

Hebrews 13:5-6
5 Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” 6 So we can confidently say,
“The Lord is my helper;
I will not fear;
what can man do to me?”

Here is something to think about to sum it all up. What if God was to take you and place you in third world country where you did not have clean water and wondered where your food would come from today? Your shelter is a mud hut with dirt floors with no AC and No heat and flys and misquotes every where. Can you be content? You still gonna serve God? You still trust God?

Why are we here, to honor and glorify God no matter where He places us or blesses us with!

Tom

Which voice? 4-13-15

Are you suffering for the sake of Christ?

I woke up to a text this morning from a sister in Christ this morning, Kati Prince, sharing this verse with me:

Philippians 1:29-30
29 For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake, 30 engaged in the same conflict that you saw I had and now hear that I still have.

She went on to say are we really suffering in Christ? Wow! One of my former youth challenging me! I love it! So what about the question??

As we follow Jesus we are expected to deny ourselves and live all out for Him. Are we? There are many types of suffering for Christ. A few examples are: Moving away from family to serve Jesus and share the gospel, giving up the majority of your time to love people and share the gospel, giving the majority of your money away to meet the needs of others instead of using it to meet unneeded material things, and then there is folks like Pastor Saeed an American who went back to Iran to visit family and share his faith but was arrested and has been in prison for years now being tortured for his Faith and service to Jesus!

So I go back to the question....are we suffering for the sake of Jesus who gave it all upon the cross for you and I? 

My answer is No I am not even close to where I should be! I am way to comfortable! How about you?

Thank you Kati for challenging us with these verses this morning, may they bring glory and honor to the King!

Tom

Longest Chapter in bible? 4-10-15

Listen to your Parents!

I am so thankful for my parents. My mom and dad raised us to work, treat people right, pay your bills, and be responsible. God places mom and dad in our lives for a purpose. That purpose is to raise us and to teach us His ways! Look at these verses:

Proverbs 1:8
8 Hear, my son, your father's instruction,
and forsake not your mother's teaching,

Proverbs 23:22
22 Listen to your father who gave you life,
and do not despise your mother when she is old.

Sadly many don't have fathers or mothers in their live and it is the churches responsibility to stand up and be these for those who don't have them. For if the body of Christ is not raising them in the train of the Lord the world will train them for their own purposes. 

I am also thankful for the many men and women who have stepped into my lives over the years to be spiritual mom and dads to me. To train me in the Lord and to teach me God's Word. If it was not for these folks I may have never come to Jesus! 

So I say there things to say this...obey your parents first of all as God has told us to do this. Second, if you are a mom or dad train your child in the ways of the Lord. There is nothing more important than this! Nothing! Third, if you are a part of the body of Christ (church), you have a responsibility to help children grow up by the teachings of God and you have to help teach them. You may have to go out of your way to pick the child up if they have no way to church!!! In the end the rewards will be overwhelming for you and the child!

Tom

God is on our side!

No need for fear!

Turn on the news, read the paper, listen to folks talk, we live in wicked days! Murder is common, money is scarce, sexual slavery is more common than we think, world is filled with hate, cancer is rampant, and the list goes on. It is an easy time to be fearful. If you are not a follower of Jesus you need to be scared but if you are a follower we have nothing at all to fear!

Isaiah 41:10
10 fear not, for I am with you;
be not dismayed, for I am your God;
I will strengthen you, I will help you,
I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

Our God is with us!!!!! He has us in His hand, that's all I need to know! Thank you Lord Jesus!

Psalm 27:2-4
2 When evildoers assail me
to eat up my flesh,
my adversaries and foes,
it is they who stumble and fall.
3 Though an army encamp against me,
my heart shall not fear;
though war arise against me,
yet I will be confident.
4 One thing have I asked of the Lord,
that will I seek after:
that I may dwell in the house of the Lord
all the days of my life,
to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord
and to inquire in his temple.

I am confident in my God! One day soon I will dwell with Him forever! With that in mind I have nothing to fear!

Psalm 118:6
6 The Lord is on my side; I will not fear.
What can man do to me?

What is worst thing a man could do yo us? Take our life? If you are a follower of Jesus, that means heaven!!! Nothing man can do should make us fear! God is on your side!

Isaiah 41:13
13 For I, the Lord your God,
hold your right hand;
it is I who say to you, “Fear not,
I am the one who helps you.”

God holds our hand!!!! What a comforting thing to know!

Isaiah 54:14
14 In righteousness you shall be established;
you shall be far from oppression, for you shall not fear;
and from terror, for it shall not come near you.

Our righteousness is in Jesus Christ, we have nothing to fear!

Lamentations 3:56-58
56 you heard my plea, ‘Do not close
your ear to my cry for help!’
57 You came near when I called on you;
you said, ‘Do not fear!’
58 “You have taken up my cause, O Lord;
you have redeemed my life.

Aren't you thankful God heard your cry for help????? I know I am!

Joel 2:21
21 “Fear not, O land;
be glad and rejoice,
for the Lord has done great things!

Oh has the Lord blessed us! He is good!

Luke 12:32
32 “Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom.

Oh what a promise! The Kingdom for His children!

John 12:15
15 “Fear not, daughter of Zion;
behold, your king is coming,
sitting on a donkey's colt!”

Fear is gone for a follower of King Jesus because He came, died, and was Resurrected!

Romans 8:15
15 For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!”

Fear is bondage, we have freedom from the Father through the Son Jesus!

2 Timothy 1:7
7 for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.

Fear is not from God but the devil....remember that!

1 John 4:18
18 There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.

Only one way to be perfected....Jesus!

Revelation 1:17
17 When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he laid his right hand on me, saying, “Fear not, I am the first and the last,

oh what a time that will be when we see Jesus face to face!

There is a healthy fear though and we is here:

Ecclesiastes 8:13
13 But it will not be well with the wicked, neither will he prolong his days like a shadow, because he does not fear before God.

Matthew 10:28
28 And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.

God is God...hold Him in proper position in life. He deserves all reverence and awe! 

So do not fear today, God has got you if you have become a follower of His Son Jesus!

Tom