Category Archives: Grace

AGAPE

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But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8

How do you show love? How do you know if someone loves you? God demonstrated his love for us when Jesus died for us on the cross. Jesus said there is no greater love than to lay down his life for his friends (John 15:13) Not only did Jesus display his ultimate love for you but he also considers you his friend

Many consider love to be a feeling or emotion but Love is an action. Love is patient, Love is kind, Love isn’t proud (1 Corinthians 13) these are all actions to display our true love. Just as God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son to save us from our sin (John 3:16)

This kind of love is called “Agape” which is not to be confused with Brotherly Love. Agape love involves faithfulness, commitment, obedience, and self-sacrifice, this is the kind of love God has demonstrated to us because God is Love (1 John 4:8)

Because God loved us and showed us grace and mercy, we can love each other (1 John 4:11) While we were Gods enemies, he still showed us mercy and love through Jesus Christ (Romans 5:10) Therefor if God granted us Love and mercy, shouldn’t you do the same?

Do you demonstrate love to others? Remember Love is more than just words its an action, just as Faith without works is dead (James 2:14), Love without action is empty in Jesus Name Amen

Unforgivable Sin?

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Therefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit shall not be forgiven unto men. Matthew 12:31

Jesus died for our sins so we can be forgiven, but there is one sin he will not forgive and that’s “Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit”.  So what is blasphemy? And who is The Holy Spirit?

Blasphemy- is an act or speaking offensively against God including profanity.

As Jesus said before he made this statement, “Anyone who is not with me is against me” (Matthew 12:30) So anyone who is committing blasphemy is ultimately waging war against God

We must understand that we are in a Spiritual Warfare for our souls (Ephesians 6:1) you are either on Gods side or Satans side, there is no in between

So who is The Holy Spirit?  Jesus taught us a lot about the Holy Spirit in (John 14-15) He is the power of God, The Comforter, The Spirit of Truth that will dwell in us forever.

We should remember the story from (Acts 5) about Ananias and Sapphira, they intentionally lied and tried to deceive the Holy Spirit and were instantly put to death. Peter told them they had lied to God, this shows you a glimpse how the Father, Son , and Holy Spirit are One

So when you speak against God or use his name in vain, this will not be forgiven. When you target and persecute Christians this will not be forgiven. Before you wage war against Jesus, make sure you know the consequences, because if God if for us who can stand against us Amen

Lost Sheep

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“Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? Luke 15:4

Jesus is looking for you, You are his lost sheep, he is the Great Shepherd. He was willing to lower himself below the angels, to save you of your sins. Are you feeling lost today? Come back home to your Heavenly Father, who has been looking for you

And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.  Luke 15:5-6

And when Jesus finds you , there will be great rejoicing. For there is no greater victory than a sinner being saved! Satan roams like a Lion looking to devour you, but rejoice, your Great Shepherd has heard your cries, and has saved you from death

I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent. Luke 15:7

And all of Heaven rejoices over your salvation of sin. Come home to your Father, hear the calling of the Great Shepherd , repent your sins and become transformed today in Jesus Name Amen

 

To Live is Jesus

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For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. 1 Philippians 1:21

What does living mean to you? Is living for yourself or this world more fulfilling then to live for Jesus? As Jesus said those who want to save their life must lose it first (Matthew 16:25) Can we truly save our life without losing it first? Absolutely not, for our old self must die on that cross and our new self will be resurrected with Christ (Romans 6:6)

Jesus is the Living Water (John 4:14), with Christ we shall never thirst again. Can you take a drink of the Living Water without repentance? Absolutely not, we must repent for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand (Matthew 3:2), to repent means to change, your old self has died and you become a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17)

Jesus said to truly be his disciple we must deny ourselves, carry our cross, and follow him (Matthew 16:24), we put our old selves aside and be filled with Christ, who gives us strength, (Philippians 4:13) We no longer conform to the ways of this world but are transformed by the renewing of our minds (Romans 12:2)

We press on to the higher calling which is Christ Jesus (Philippians 3:14) We no longer live for ourselves but Live for Christ, who is the resurrection and life (John 11:25) Without Christ there is no life and that’s why to die on the cross with Christ is to gain eternal life in Jesus Name Amen

 

 

Bread Alone

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Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.'” Matthew 4:4

What do you need to sustain your life? Will money, food, shelter, and clothing save your life? The answer is No, these things may sustain your physical body temporarily but will not deliver your soul for eternity. Jesus addressed this issue when he sayed “Man can’t live on Bread alone” Remember during this time Jesus was being tested in the wilderness for 40 days by Satan (Matthew 4)  But Jesus knew that his temporary suffering could not compare to the Glory of God. (Romans 8:18)

So knowing this our feeding our souls with the Word of God? For we know what is seen is temporary but what is unseen is eternal. (2 Corinthians 4:18) We need to learn to not focus all our efforts on the temporary physical world, but use our time wisely to prepare for eternity, as we press on to the prize of our higher calling. (Philippians 3:14)

Knowing these we must deny ourselves, carry our cross, and follow Jesus. (Matthew 16:24) For we know he is the only Truth, Life, and Way to God. (John 14:6) All other roads lead to destruction. So choose your path wisely, let God be the lamp for your feet and guide your path. (Proverbs 3:6)

So don’t worry about what you need to eat or drink, for God knows your needs (Matthew 6:31) and will be your provider (Philippians 4:19)  Instead focus your time on preparing yourself for your eternal calling which is with our Lord and Savior, remember he is the Bread of Life, not this world in Jesus Christ Amen

Is God First?

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Thou shalt have no other gods before me. Exodus 20:3

Do you put God first above all other things? Its easy for us to get distracted or sidetracked in todays world and forget about God. Especially when things are going good, but it’s important to keep God first above all things

Worship– Excessive admiration for someone or something

Do you excessively obsess or admire something or someone? This is by definition worship, and its putting something above God. Many times people become obsessed with making money, or following sports, ect. The problem is these distractions take you away from focusing on God.

As Jesus said nobody Can Serve Two Masters, (Matthew 6:24) he was specifically referencing Money as it has become a God for many people. But we must remember Jehovah Jireh God is our Provider (Genesis 22:14) not Man (Philippians 4:19)  God knows your needs and will meet them (Matthew 6:8)

Idolatry– extreme love, reverence, or admiration for someone or something

Notice Idolatry and Worship are basically the same thing; we have a huge issue with this today in our culture. We idolize and worship musicians, movie stars, athletes, ect. This is an abomination to God and it must end. (Exodus 20:3-6) God tells us throughout the Bible to avoid Idolatry at all costs

The Bible also tells that all Earthy things, such as sexual immorality, impurity, evil desires, and covetousness are also Idolatry (Colossians 3:5) Sin can be an obsession, we need to set our minds on things above and Christ (Colossians 3:2)

So are you putting God first? Are you guilty of Idolatry and ungodly Worship? Remember to keep God first above everything else in Jesus Name Amen

Does God Change?

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For I am the LORD, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed. Malachi 3:6

Many Christians today believe we need to change our beliefs or doctrine to accommodate people’s lifestyle today. The problem is God does not change, and his Word never changes either (Isaiah 40:8)So what is the solution for this? Repentance.

John The Baptist was sent as the messenger to pave the way for Jesus Christ (Isaiah 40:3) what was his message? “Repent for the Kingdom of God is at Hand”.  The problem is people don’t understand the true Biblical meaning of Repentance. The Greek word is metamelomai which means change of mind and purpose. So repenting doesn’t mean to just confess your sins but to also change your lifestyle from sin.

Jesus is the Living Word (John 1:14) and he is the same today, yesterday, and forever (Hebrews 13:8) Therefor God doesn’t change and neither does his Word. God gave us the laws of marriage in Genesis 2:24 and Jesus echoed the same in Matthew 19:5. Notice God does not change.

The reason modern day Churches are failing is because they haven’t truly built their house upon the Rock, they have built on the sand by changing Gods word to fit their congregation. What happens, the storm comes in and crushes the false Church.

As Jesus said if we truly loved him we would follow his commandments (John 14:15) any Church that changes there doctrine to please people is a rebellion against God. All righteous comes from God and he does not change (James 1:17) in Jesus Name Amen

Christ In You

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On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. John 14:20

Many people often debate or ponder, what did Jesus look like, however this issue is we are looking at things from the physical world and not the spiritual.

We shouldn’t fix our eyes on the physical world because its temporary, but fix our eyes on the spiritual world because its eternal (2 Corinthians 4:18) God is a spirit, and we must worship him in Spirit and in Truth (John 4:24)

When we are filled with the Holy Spirit, God lives inside us, the same power that rose Jesus from the grave is living inside us.  (Romans 8:11) So if you want to know what Jesus looks like, look at yourself, look at your neighbor, or your children. We are the temple of God and the Holy Spirit dwells in us (1 Corinthians 3:16)

So knowing this, would we treat our neighbors differently? Would we be more loving towards our family? Would you truly love your neighbor more knowing that Christ might live in them?

Remember if your truly a Christian, you have been crucified with Christ and he lives in you (Galatians 2:20) , do others see Christ in you? Can you see Christ in others?  No matter what race, gender, nationality, we are all one in Jesus Christ Amen (Galatians 3:28)

 

Do You Love Jesus?

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If you love me, keep my commandments. John 14:15

Many people claim to be a Christian and love Jesus, but are your actions justifying your beliefs? We need to remember Love is not just a feeling, its also an action.  As we learn in (1 Corinthians 13) Love is not self-seeking, rejoices in truth, and endures through all things.

Jesus said there is no greater Love than to lay down your life, (John 15:13) God demonstrated his Love for us at the cross, even though we didn’t deserve it (Romans 5:8) this kind of Love is also called Agape

Agape- is the original Greek word translated to Love, but it’s a deeper love than the superficial one the world is used to. It’s a love of faithfulness, obedience, and sacrifice.

So can you really Love Jesus if you don’t follow his commandments? Sure we are saved by Gods Grace through Jesus (Ephesians 2:8), but remember any sin is a rebellion against God. (1 Samuel 2:14) Remember Jesus said those who are not with him, are against him (Matthew 12:30)

Just like with a parent and child, when a child is disobedient or rebels against there parents commands or instruction, does this show love? No as a parent when our children disobey or lie to us, it breaks our heart. Why? Because we want the best for our children and God wants the best for you also.

So if you truly Love Jesus, then follow his commandments. For he is the truth , life, and way (John 14:6) he will not lead you astray, (Matthew 24:4) Jesus Loves you, question is Do you really Love him?

Gods Will or Our Will?

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Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Matthew 6:10

Many times in life we try to make our own path, make our own destiny, and then fail and wonder why? The first question is Was It Gods Will or your own will? See God has given us the gift of “Free Will” however when we choose this path, we are on our own. (Proverbs 16:9)

Some examples are when Adam and Eve decided to follow their own will and eat from the forbidden Tree, the result was sin and death. (Genesis 3) But when Jesus followed Gods Will and sacrificed himself on the cross, the result was grace and eternal life (Luke 22:42)

So what is Gods Will for your life? To truly know Gods plan for our life we need to connect with him through prayer and scripture. Remember all things work together for good for them that Love God (Romans 8:28)

We must learn to “draw near to God” (James 4) when we submit ourselves to God, Satan flees from us and then God can work his purpose in our lives. But when we follow our own will, it usually leads to our own destruction, but If we acknowledge God he will make our paths straight (Proverbs 3:6)

So are you doing Gods Will or your own Will? We must remember Gods knows all our needs and will provide them (Matthew 6:8) if we put our trust in Jesus Name Amen