God ain't Playin'

But to the wicked, God says: “What right have you to recite my law or take my covenant on your lips? You hate my instruction and cast my words behind you. When you see a thief, you join with him; you throw in your lot with adulterers. You use your mouth for evil and harness your tongue to deceit. You speak continually against your brother and slander your own mother’s son. These things you have done and I kept silent; you thought I was altogether  like you. But I will rebuke you and accuse you to your face. “Consider this, you who forget God, or I will tear you to pieces, with none to rescue: He who sacrifices thank offerings honors me, and he prepares the way so that I may show him the salvation of God.” ~ Psalm 50:16-33 ~

Galatians 6:7 tells us, " Do not be deceived, God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. Have you ever heard an ungodly person verbally quote scripture, seen them post Bible verses on the Internet, or share how God has blessed them with this or that? Well, that's what God is talking about here. He says in so many words "don't confuse my patience with you thinking your getting away with living in sin, when I decide the time is right, I will pour out my wrath on you and administer My justice" God says those who do not belong to Jesus don't even have the right to recite His Word. YIKES!

Now before you start pointing fingers and judging, Jesus in Revelation chapter three says basically the same thing to the Church, specifically to those who are lukewarm in their faith, doing just enough to satisfy their own conscience so they can feel good about being a Christian without actually having to make sacrifices or die to their own personal passions and pleasures. 

So what does God require? Thank Offerings. God wants us to worship Him in Spirit and in Truth. In other words our external worship should be a true indicator of the heart. Are you living a life worthy of the calling you have recieved? Do your interactions with people reflect Christ? God wants everything, starting with your heart. Examine your life to see if there is any area where you are lukewarm or a hypocrite, if there is, confess it, repent from it, and then walk in the freedom that is only in Christ Jesus. The promise is from God Himself, "He who sacrifices thank offerings honors me, and he prepares the way so that I may show him the salvation of God"

1 John 3:16-18
"This is how we know what Love is: Jesus Christ laid down His life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth."
"WITH ACTIONS & IN TRUTH!"
Let us show our love 'WITH OUR ACTIONS, NOT OUR WORDS!'
May our actions be performed 'IN TRUTH, NOT FOR RECOGNITION!'
"IF WE SEEK A REWARD HERE ON EARTH, THEN WE HAVE NO REWARD IN HEAVEN!"

1 Corinthians 3:9-17
" For we are God's fellow workers; you are God's field, God's building. By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as an expert builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should be careful how he builds. For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costl...

y stones, wood, hay or straw, his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man's work. If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward. If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames. Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's Spirit lives in you? If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him; for God's temple is sacred, and you are that temple."

Hebrews 6:10
"God is not unjust; He will not forget your work and the love you have shown Him as you have helped His people and continue to help them."
I woke up this morning, and while I was in the middle of worship, God came to me in an overwhelming way, and said:
"GIVE THIS VERSE TO MY PEOPLE, FOR THERE IS SOMEONE OUT THERE WHO'S NAME MANY MAY NOT RECOGNIZE, BUT THEY ARE VERY DEAR TO MY HEART. I HAVE SEEN WHAT THEY CONTINUOUSLY DO IN MY NAME & I HONOR EVERY ACTION OF LOVE ON MY BEHALF, THOUGH NO ONE ELSE MAY RESPECT THEIR CHOICES & ACTIONS."
Now I want to encourage everyone to:
"LOVE ON JESUS BY LOVING ON OTHERS TODAY!!!"

It Starts with You and Me



God said to Jacob, "‘I am going to make you fruitful and will increase your numbers. I will make you a community of peoples, and I will give this land as an everlasting possession to your descendants after you.’ ~ Genesis 48:4 ~

Community can be simply defined as common possessions or togetherness. Way back in the beginning God was interested in us being a community, not just a bunch of people living in the same city. God wants us to be a group of people that have things in common, that take care of one another, that truly love each other, people that share, people that work together, eat together, pray and worship together. It takes effort to be a real community of people, so what can you do today to move towards that goal? Talk it over with your family and make a decision to be a family that creates community. Decide on a few realistic things you can do like inviting a different family over once a month for dinner, or maybe shovel the elderly neighbor's walk this winter and invite her over for cocoa, whatecver it is, make a decision, then follow through.

let's do things God's way. Let's build a Christian community for the whole world to see

Leviticus 20:8
"Keep My decrees and follow them. I am the Lord, who makes you holy."
STOP LOOKING TO YOURSELF FOR WHOLENESS!
IT IS THE LORD THAT COMPLETES YOU!
NOTICE THAT HE OFFERS NO OTHER EXPLANATION FOR HIS DEMAND OF OBEDIENCE EXCEPT FOR THE FACT THAT:
"HE IS THE LORD & HE MAKES YOU HOLY!"
"AS OUR FATHER, HE ONLY WANTS WHAT'S BEST FOR US!'
'ENJOY YOUR DAY WITH THE LORD!'

A World of Debt

 Romans 13:7-8 tells us "Give everyone what you owe him: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor.Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law" 

Debt is not just financial. A debt can be a commitment you've made to someone, an obligation, a pledge, respect, or honor. We usually look at debt as something we wish to be rid of but don't forget there is also a debt we can never repay, the debt of loving one another. So ask the Lord to show you areas concerning debt you may have never thought about or overlooked in the past.  

Leviticus 11:45
"I am the Lord who brought you up out of Egypt to be your God; therefore be holy, because I am holy."
GOD FREED YOU FOR A PURPOSE, NOT FOR YOUR LUXURY!
FREEDOM FROM SIN, SIMPLY MEANS:
'A WARRIOR AGAINST SIN, NOT A LICENSEE!'
DON'T USE YOUR FREEDOM AS AN EXCUSE TO ENJOY THE SHORT-TERM PLEASURES OF SIN,
BUT INSTEAD, FOLLOW GOD'S EXAMPLE & SEPERATE YOURSELF FROM ALL THAT IS UNHOLY!
"IF YOU'RE HAVING TROUBLE DISTINGUISHING BETWEEN GOOD & EVIL, SEEK GOD & HE WILL MAKE IT KNOWN TO YOU!"

Godly Leaders...Godly People.

In the book of 1 Kings, we find that it begins with David, the man after God’s own heart, and ends with Ahab, the worst king ever, to rule over Israel. Israel begins as a powerful nation and ends as a divided nation and with many evil kings ruling over both kingdoms – especially over Israel.

The condition of God’s people depends greatly on the spirituality or the lack of it in their leaders. Whenever Israel had a godly leader, they moved forward in godly ways. When they had a carnal leader, they moved away from God into carnality. The great need among God’s people has always been for godly leaders.

Jesus looked out at the multitudes in His day and saw them as sheep without a shepherd. He told His disciples to pray that God would thrust forth shepherds into the midst of His people (Matt.9:36-38). When God looks at the churches today, He sees the same need for godly leaders.

The challenge that comes to us then is to satisfy the heart of God in our generation by being the type of men and women He is looking for. In every generation God needs godly leaders. We cannot depend on the wisdom of the leaders of previous generations. David could not rule over Israel forever. He would die, and someone else would have to take over. What would become of Israel depended on the type of person that the next king would be. God raises up a godly man to start a work in one generation. He becomes old and dies. Will the leaders in the next generation have only the founder’s knowledge and his doctrines, but not his godliness and his knowledge of God? Then the people will certainly go astray. God needs Davids and Deborahs in our day. ~ Devotion by guest author and local brother in Christ George Mlay ~

Dads...check out this family devotion you can read with your kids.

For more daily family devotions go to  www.fromGodtheFather.blogspot.com and while there make sure you scroll to the bottom of the page so the kids can FEED THE FISH!

Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart. ~ Colossians 4:2 ~

Never give up hope. Devote yourself to prayer, in other words pray all the time. Pray with an alert mind too, meaning don't just recite mindless repetitious prayers, but pray intentionally with specific prayers, pray as if your having a conversation with God because you are, tell Him everything, then always have a thankful heart, even in the middle of life's storms, thank God for being there with you, thank God for being in control of it all, and thank God that He will take you through this, just like He has taken you through all of life's struggles. With God all things are possible, take heart and trust God, He will give you hope.

Family Devotions produced and sponsored by Remnant Force Men's Ministry. Helping families grow strong together, 

in Christ.

Leviticus 6:1-2
"The Lord said to Moses: “If anyone sins and is unfaithful to the Lord by deceiving his neighbor about something entrusted to him or left in his care or stolen, or if he cheats him..."
NOTICE THAT ANY OF THESE ACTIONS IS CONSIDERED "UNFAITHFULNESS TO GOD".
When we are DISHONEST, SLICK, CONNIVING in our dealings with others just to make something extra for ourselves,
WE DISHONOR GOD & HURT THE PERSON ENTRUSTED TO US!
"LOVE SEEKS THE BENEFIT OF OTHERS, NOT OF ONESELF!"
If we do things HONESTLY, God will HONOR OUR DEALINGS!
If we get over on people, BEWARE!!! GOD HAS HIS WAY OF TAKING BACK WHAT WE HAVE WRONGFULLY GOTTEN!

Psalm 27:4

"The one thing I ask of the Lord, the thing I seek most, is to live in the House of the Lord all the days of my life, delighting in the Lord 's perfections and meditating in His Temple."

Philippians 1:9-11

"I pray that your love will overflow more and more, and that you will keep on growing in knowledge and understanding. For I want you to understand what REALLY MATTERS, so that you may live pure and blameless lives until the day of Christ's return. May you always be filled with the fruit of your salvation—the righteous character produced in your life by Jesus Christ—for this will bring much glory and praise to God."

John 15:13
"There is no greater love than to lay down one's life for one's friends."
IN ORDER TO BE A FRIEND, WE MUST ACTUALLY BE A FRIEND!
THE BEST SERMON WE COULD EVER PREACH IS THE SERMON THAT PEOPLE ACTUALLY LISTEN TO & FOLLOW AFTER!
THEREFORE, IMITATE CHRIST IN YOUR DAILY WALK & WATCH OTHERS DO THE SAME!
"THEIR LIVE'S MAY DEPEND ON IT MORE THAN WE KNOW!"
"BE A CHRIST-LIKE FRIEND TODAY!"

Pray request from a brother in Christ...

Please say a prayer for the father of my friend, he is going into surgery tomorrow.

She identifies herself as a lesbian & does not know Jesus. Nonetheless she texted me tonight to ask me to say a prayer for her father. I am sharing this with you all because I believe that this is the hand of God working in people's lives.

May the name of The Lord be gloried and the devil be horrified

 

(Removed names to give respect to them. God knows their names ) 

Leviticus 3:1
"If someone’s offering is a fellowship offering, and he offers an animal from the herd, whether male or female, he is to present before the Lord an animal without defect."
GOD HAS GIVEN US HIS BEST, (HIS SON, JESUS)!
WE MUST DO THE SAME!
IF YOU SEEK TRUE FELLOWSHIP WITH GOD, THEN COME BEFORE HIM TRUTHFULLY!
GOD DOES NOT EXPECT YOU TO BE PERFECT!
INSTEAD, HE DESIRES TO MAKE YOU PERFECT AS YOU SPEND QUALITY TIME WITH HIM!
"BRING THE BEST YOU GOT & HE WILL MAKE IT GREAT!"
"FELLOWSHIP!!!"

October Remnant Force Men's Ministry Events

Sermons and Snacks

 

Ever want to give a sermon?

Do you have something to share?

Open Mic Format

Sermons must be teachings from the Bible.

Please bring a snack to share - drinks provided

Friday October 12th 7-10pm

 

Evangel Assembly of God - 99th & Good Hope 

October Remnant Force Men's Ministry Events

~ Free Movie Night ~

Friday Oct 26th  7-10 pm

Popcorn & Drinks Provided

Discussion To Follow

Evangel Assembly of God

(99th & Good Hope)

Matthew 22:37
"Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind."
WHAT IS YOUR TRUE HEART'S DESIRE CONCERNING CHRIST?
BE TRUTHFUL WITH YOURSELF,
BECAUSE GOD WANTS TO TAKE YOU TO ANOTHER LEVEL!
DEEPER & MORE PERSONAL THAN EVER BEFORE!
Please, don't be offended by this question, it is not a personal attack, but a call to ELEVATION!
"NEVER BE SATISFIED WITH YOUR FEELINGS FOR CHRIST, BUT LET THERE BE AN UNQUENCHED THIRST FOR HIS PRESENCE IN YOUR HEART AT ALL TIMES!"
"DO NOT LET YOUR HEART DECEIVE YOU INTO BELIEVING THAT YOU HAVE ARRIVED, WHEN THE JOURNEY HAS JUST BEGUN!"

Amore'

But if anyone obeys his word, God's love is truly made complete in him. This is how we know we are in him ~ 1 John 2:5 ~

What is love? It is a humbling of oneself, it is sacrificing your own desires for that of another. Love is not a funny feeling, or sex, love is sacrifice, a servants heart, love is doing all you can to provide for another, with a desire to meet there needs above your own, love is dying to self and living for another. When you obey God's Word, this kind of love is made complete in you. This is how you know Jesus is in you, because this is the kind of love Jesus has for you, He became a servant and died for you

Exodus 40:33b-34
"And so Moses FINISHED the work. 'THEN' the cloud covered the Tent of Meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle."
Do you want to see God's Hand move in your life?
THEN, DO THE NECESSARY WORK!
NOTE THAT THE GLORY DID NOT FILL THE TABERNACLE UNTIL MOSES HAD FINISHED HIS SHARE OF THE WORK!
THEREFORE, DON'T JUST SIT AROUND DAY-DREAMING & EXPECTING EVERYTHING TO FALL INTO PLACE!
DO THE WORK GOD HAS ASSIGNED YOU!
THEN, WATCH YOUR MINISTRY GROW!
"WHEN YOUR FAITH MOVES A MOUNTAIN, YOUR HANDS WILL NEED TO BUILD A HIGHWAY FOR OTHERS TO TRAVEL!"

Things You Need To Know...

Ten Truths of the Bible

1. Your soul was created to live forever

Matt 10:28, John 11:25,26

2. You will either live with God, forever (Heaven) or without God, forever (Hell)

Luke 16:22-28

3. Heaven and Hell are real places that still exist today

Rev 21:1-4 & Rev 14:11

4. Hell is eternal pain, heat & loneliness, a separation from God

Matt 8:12, 25:46

5. Heaven is eternal joy in God’s presence & God’s glory

Rev 21:22-27

6. God is pure and holy and hates sin -

Isa 6:3, 1 Sam 2:2, Zech 8:14-17

7. Your sin has separated you from God

Isaiah 59:2

8. You cannot make things right with God by being better

Ephesians 2:1-9

9. Believing in Jesus Christ & surrendering your heart to Him is the only way to God because He is God, He died and rose again, and He paid your penalty

John 3:16,36, 14:6 & Acts 4:12, Isa 53:5

10. To receive salvation pray for brokenness over your sin, confess it to God & repent, then cry out to Jesus to save you. Turn to Jesus and follow His ways

Psalm 51:1-17

Ten Truths about who you are in Christ

. When you give your heart to Him, not being religious but truly surrendering your life to His will and dying to self

1. I have a new heart, I am not the same. I now desire Jesus and the things of God

2 Cor 5:17

2. I am loved by God

1 John 4:10,16, Romans 5:8

3. I am accepted & chosen by God

John 1:12, Romans 5:1, John 15;16,

4. I am secure

Romans 8:1, 28, 31-39

5. I am forgiven of sin & guilt is removed

Psalm 32:5

6. I now choose to resist temptation to sin

Ephesians 6:10-18

7. I am made holy in Christ and above sin

Hebrews 10:1-10

8. I reflect Jesus to others

2 Corinthians 3:18, 1 John 2:6

9. I desire to go to Church & fellowship with other Christians

Hebrews 10:25, 1 John 1:7

10. I am a person of prayer & now live my life for Jesus and others.

1 Thes 5:16-18, Matt 22:36-39

Please join us for a free meal every Wednesday from 5:30-6:30 pm with classes to follow

Sunday mornings at 10am for worship & Church (Sunday School at 9:00 am)

Evangel Assembly of God, 9920 W. Good Hope Road Milwaukee, WI 53224
(414)-353-6440 

Exodus 35:5
"From what you have, take an offering for the Lord. Everyone who is willing is to bring to the Lord an offering..."
"FROM WHAT YOU HAVE..." & "EVERYONE WHO IS WILLING..."
These are key statements!
BEWARE! The enemy will have you believe that you must give every time a pledge or good cause arises in order to keep you in lack!
THIS IS FALSE! You can not give what you do not have! & If you feel pressured into giving, then there is no willingness!
WHEN GOD MOVES YOU TO GIVE, HE WILL ALSO GIVE YOU TO MOVE!
"GOD WILL 'NOT' FILL HIS HOUSE & EMPTY YOURS!"
"DO NOT BE DECEIVED!"

I must go on THIS journey alone.

Thank you brother Abner.

 

Genesis 22:9-18

When they reached the place God had told him about, Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood on it. He bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. Then he reached out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. But the angel of the Lord called out to him from heaven, “Abraham! Abraham!” “Here I am,” he replied. “Do not lay a hand on the boy,” he said. “Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son.” Abraham looked up and there in a thicket he saw a ram caught by its horns. He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son. So Abraham called that place The Lord Will Provide. And to this day it is said, “On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided.” The angel of the Lord called to Abraham from heaven a second time and said, “I swear by myself, declares the Lord, that because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies, and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me.”

Do not withhold anything from God, give Him everything, sacrifice all that you have. Sacrifice your possessions, your talents, your time, your wife, and yes...your children. But is this possible you ask? How can a person really do this? In the Latin it is called Fiducia (trust, faith, heart & soul) I must "In my Heart" give everything to the Lord, place it all on the altar, my faith and trust are no longer in myself to provide, or even divided between me and God. I must sacrifice everything to God alone, I must trust Him alone to provide. Abraham went to the Mountain to make the sacrifice, a holy place set apart for God, a place where he was alone with God. I too must go to the mountain, for it is...on the mountain of the Lord it will be provided.

 

What or Who, do you need to Sacrifice?

Light and Truth

But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.~ 1 John 1:7 ~

 

The Bible says that we cannot have fellowship with God if we do not walk in the light. If we walk in the light, we certainly can't hide anything, for the light exposes everything. The man who walks in darkness is the one who has something to hide in his life. If we walk in the light, our life is an open book. We can then invite people to examine our private life, our account books and everything. There is nothing we want to hide. It doesn't mean that we're perfect. No, it only means that we are honest.
The first thing that God requires from all of us is honesty - absolute honesty. If we are willing to be honest first, many of our other problems will be solved very quickly. We will progress in leaps and bounds in our spiritual life if we live by this fundamental rule of honesty before God and men.
But you'll find that this is a battle. You may say, "I'm really going to take that exhortation seriously. I'm going to be honest from now on." But you'll find before the week is out that you're tempted to be an actor again, and to seek for the praise of men rather than the praise of God. So you have to determine to fight that battle and win. It is a great grief to God that there are so many Christians today who have been born again for twenty, thirty or forty years, but who haven't progressed spiritually because they have not learned this fundamental lesson of being honest. We can't progress if there is hypocrisy in our life. Our prayers will not be heard. We can have all-night prayer meetings; but we are wasting our time. Our prayers will not be heard if we do not get rid of hypocrisy first.
We must recognise that our true spiritual worth is what we are before God and nothing more than that. Our spiritual state is not determined by our knowledge of the Bible, nor by how much we pray, nor by how many meetings we attend, nor by what the elders or others in the church think of us. On the contrary, ask yourself, "What does God, who can see into every area of my life, think of me?" The answer to that is the real measure of how spiritual you are. We need to remind ourselves of this daily, or else we may find ourselves becoming actors again. I love those words that Jesus said about Nathaniel, "Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile" (John 1:47). If Jesus could say that about you and me, that would be a greater commendation than almost anything else. Nathaniel was not perfect. He was imperfect. But he was honest about his imperfections. He didn't pretend to be something that he wasn't. That's where he was different from Ananias and Sapphira.
~ Commentry by George Mlay ~ 

Exodus 34:35b
"Then Moses would put the veil back over his face UNTIL he went in to speak with the Lord."
The word 'Veil' means:
cover - mask - conceal - cloak - hide - disguise - shroud with an intent to protect.
WHEN WE COME TO GOD, WE NEED ONLY TO DO JUST THAT!
WE DON'T NEED TO FAKE A FUNK IN ORDER TO IMPRESS HIM, BECAUSE HE SEES WHAT WE DO AT EVERY MOMENT OF THE DAY & STILL DESIRES OUR FRIENDSHIP!
SO, WHEN YOU FINISH YOUR DAILY ROUTINE, 'TAKE OFF THE MASK' & COME OPEN-HEARTEDLY BEFORE THE LORD!
HE'S WAITING!!!

Exodus 34:24a,25a
"I will drive out nations before you and enlarge your territory..., Do not offer a sacrifice to me along with anything containing yeast..."
The Feast of the Unleaven Bread begins the next night after the Passover and celebrates Israel being delivered from bondage in Egypt.
HERE, GOD WAS TELLING THE ISRAELITES TO REMEMBER WHO DELIVERED THEM FROM THEIR SLAVERY WITH A SENSE OF SOBERITY.
WE MUST ALWAYS BE HUMBLE IN THE PRESENCE OF GOD.
'YEAST' IS SOMETHING THAT PUFFS UP,
THEREFORE, WHEN WE OFFER A SACRIFICE TO GOD,
WHETHER IT BE HELPING A NEIGHBOR, OR CLEANING THE
CHURCH. DON'T ADD YEAST {PRIDE}, BECAUSE IT SPOILS OUR GIFT TO GOD!

Exodus 34:6b-7a
"The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet He does not leave the guilty unpunished..."
GOD IS NOT WILLING THAT ANY SHOULD PERISH,
BUT GOD IS A RIGHTEOUS GOD & CAN ONLY GO SO FAR!
THERE IS A LINE THAT NOT EVEN GOD WILL CROSS
& IT IS DRAWING EVER SO NEAR!
ACCEPTANCE OF CHRIST IS SO VITAL!
TELL SOMEONE! BECAUSE THEIR LIFE DEPENDS ON IT!

Believe in a God that beleives in YOU!

I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me faithful, appointing me to his service. Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief. The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. ~ 1 Timothy 1:12-14 ~

 

Amazing, because of Jesus, God actually believes in us, He believes in you. Still not sure? Think about it...

 

He trusts you with Treasures (Making you a steward of finance)

 

He gives you the freedom to become a unique person (expressing your gifts)

 

He shares responsibilities that will allow you to grow (being His hands and feet)

 

He places children in our care to nurture

 

He is honest in relating to you

 

He makes Himself available to be in communication with you

 

He offers you real encouragement

 

He listens, hears, and really cares about you

 

He is able and willing to offer grace and forgiveness to you and to everyone

 

This is a God that cares about YOU, this is a God that loves YOU. Even though you and I were haters of God in our unbelief He poured out His mercy so that we might bring Him honor, & therefore appointed us to His service. It is a great honor to serve the King, and through Jesus Christ, He trusts You and Me to carry out this service. You simply don't give someone those kinds of responsibilities if you don't believe they can carry it out, and are not willing to provide them with everything they need to be successful.

Believe in a God that believes in You!

 

 

Hide & Seek

Did you ever have a kid in your neighborhood that when playing hide and seek just hid to good, everyone else was found but this kid would not come out, soon everyone starting looking, then kids got bored, then mad, and finally went home? I heard a story of an old man sitting on his porch watching such and event occur, the kid was actually hiding under a pile of leaves in his front yard. The old man said at one point he thought about going over and lighting the leaves on fire to get the kid to come out, but decided instead to simply yell, "Get Found Kid!"

 

We too are often like that, we hide from God by being distracted, busy, tired, __________, (that was for you to fill in your own excuse) These things can unintentionally become our 'pile of leaves'   

 

 I have strayed like a lost sheep. Seek your servant, for I have not forgotten your commands ~ Psalm 119:176 ~

 

 Are you playing hide and seek with God? 

 

Get Found Kid! Get Found!  

 

Get rid of the leaves!

Make the necessary sacrifices and spend time alone with God in prayer.

 

 

 

May the grace of the Lord Jesus be with you always and to the only wise God be glory forever through Jesus Christ! Amen.

Psalm 139:12
"Even the darkness will not be dark to You; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to You."
GOD IS NOT BOUND TO NATURAL OR PHYSICAL LAWS!
THEREFORE, REMOVE WHATEVER LIMITS YOU MAY HAVE PLACED ON GOD IN YOUR LIFE & ALLOW HIM THE OPPORTUNITY TO SHOW YOU THAT:
"HE DOESN'T LIVE BY RULES, HE MAKES THEM!"
"THE LIMITS IN YOUR LIFE, ARE LIMITS YOU HAVE SET, NOT GOD!"
TAKE OFF THE LIMITS!

Psalm 139:23-24 "Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting." UNTIL THE DAY GOD'S COMMANDS GO FROM BEING "HIS REQUIREMENTS" TO BEING "YOUR STANDARDS", YOU WILL "NEVER" BE ABLE TO ENJOY "ONENESS" WITH YOUR MAKER! "IT IS NOT OUR CONFESSION THAT ESTABLISHES OUR ALLEGIANCE TO GOD, BUT OUR SUBJECTION TO HIS AUTHORITY DECLARES HIS SOVEREIGNTY WITHOUT WORDS!"

Let's get Real Serious for a Minute...

   Amos 6:1. 4-7 Woe to you who are complacent... You lie on beds inlaid with ivory and lounge on your couches. You dine on choice lambsand fattened calves. You strum away on your harps like David and improvise on musical instruments. You drink wine by the bowlful and use the finest lotions, but you do not grieve over the ruin of Joseph. Therefore you will be among the first to go into exile; your feasting and lounging will end.

 

Allow me to translate...Disaster awaits you who are idle concerning the eternal salvation of others. You sit around and watch T.V., you lay on the couch, you eat nice dinners, after all you deserve it, you work hard, you sleep in nice beds and get plenty of rest, your entertained all the time, but you do little to nothing concerning the salvation of others, and yet you think you have eternal life. Matthew Henry said this, "Those who are set upon their pleasures are commonly careless of the troubles of others, but this is great offence to God. Those who placed their happiness in the pleasures of sense, and set their hearts upon them, shall be deprived of those pleasures"

                        

"Flee from Babylon! Run for your lives! Do not be destroyed because of her sins. It is time for the LORD's vengeance; he will pay her what she deserves.  Jeremiah 51:6

 

Paul was a man of sorrow concerning the salvation of others. He even wished he could take their place as painful as it would be, "I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were cursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers..." Jesus too was a man of sorrow, "He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not" Isaiah 53:3

 

If your heart is not broken over the lost, confess your sin to God immediately and ask Him to allow you to share in the sorrow of Christ over those who reject Him. Beg the Lord, do not stop until he gives you the gift of tears and those tears cause your hands and feet to move. 

HEART STRONG...

Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the LORD

 ~ Psalm 31:24 ~

Matthew Henry's Commentary 31:19-24 Instead of yielding to impatience or despondency under our troubles, we should turn our thoughts to the goodness of the Lord towards those who fear and trust in Him. All comes to sinners through the wondrous gift of the only-begotten Son of God, to be the atonement for their sins. Let not any yield to unbelief, or think, under discouraging circumstances, that they are cut off from before the eyes of the Lord, and left to the pride of men. Lord, pardon our complaints and fears; increase our faith, patience, love, and gratitude; teach us to rejoice in tribulation and in hope. The deliverance of Christ, with the destruction of his enemies, ought to strengthen and comfort the hearts of believers under all their afflictions here below, that having suffered courageously with their Master, they may triumphantly enter into his joy and glory.



Exodus 29:46
"They will know that I am the Lord their God, who brought them out of Egypt so that I might dwell among them. I am the Lord their God."
GOD FREED YOU FROM SPIRITUAL BONDAGE FOR A PURPOSE!
THAT PURPOSE WAS TO HAVE A RELATIONSHIP WITH YOU!
GOD DESIRES TO LIVE 'IN YOU', NOT ON 'YOUR BORDERS'!
"THEREFORE, DO NOT EXCLUDE HIM FROM YOUR DECISION-MAKING, BECAUSE CHANCES ARE HE WILL HAVE TO COME TO YOUR RESCUE ONCE AGAIN!"
"LET HIM IN & HE WILL REMOVE EVERYTHING THAT HAS KEPT YOU OUT!"

Exodus 25:40
"See that you make them according to the pattern shown you on the mountain."
Two things:
1- HAVE YOU BEEN ON THE MOUNTAIN LATELY?
Because that is where you will receive your instructions from God!
No one can tell you 'GOD'S PLAN' for your life!
They can merely confirm what God has already placed in your heart!
2- HAVE YOU BEEN FOLLOWING GOD'S INSTRUCTIONS?
Because the only way to succeed with 'GOD'S PLAN' for your life is to do it 'GOD'S WAY'!
"FROM THE MOUNTAINTOP, THE VIEW IS BETTER!"
"GO TO THE MOUNTAIN & HEED THE INSTRUCTIONS!"

Psalm 119:5
"Oh, that my actions would consistently reflect Your decrees!"
BREAKING NEWS!
GOD IS NOT SEEKING A PERFECT HEART,
BUT A HEART THAT IS WILLING TO FOLLOW HIM!
"THEN, HE WILL BEGIN THE PROCESS OF PERFECTING THAT HEART!"
GOD BLESS YOU ALL & HAVE A GREAT DAY!

Meals are more than just Food

Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved. ~ Acts 2:46-47 ~

The people of this text met together everyday, they also had meals together, they not only shared in their joy but also in their possessions. Wow! Sharing, Love, Gatherings, Worship. This is what a Christian family is supposed to look like. Let us learn from this to share in all our belongings as they came from God anyway, let us share in our meals that we might give thanks together and have uplifting and encouraging conversations, let us also gather in the name of Jesus to Worship Him as the Bible tells us "He inhabits our praise" and let it all lead others to eternal salvation in the Lord.

Exodus 17:11
"As long as Moses held up his hands, the Israelites were winning, but whenever he lowered his hands, the Amalekites were winning."
WITH WORSHIP COMES VICTORY!
IF WE STOP WORSHIPPING, WE STOP WALKING IN VICTORY!
IN SIMPLE TERMS;
PRAISE & WORSHIP ARE A PROCLAMATION OF VICTORY!
"EVERY BATTLE EVER FOUGHT,
EVERY BATTLE STILL TO COME,
ALL HAVE THIS ONE THING IN COMMON,
'JESUS WON IT ALL!'"

Exodus 15:13
"In Your Unfailing Love You will lead the people You have redeemed. In Your Strength You will guide them to Your Holy Dwelling."
GOD'S PROMISE TO US IS THAT 'HE WILL LEAD US, HE WILL GUIDE US'.
THEREFORE, NEXT TIME YOU ARE GOING DOWN AN UNFAMILIAR, UNCOMFORTABLE, UNDESIRABLE ROAD, JUST REMEMBER THAT GOD HAS A PURPOSE & A PLAN FOR TAKING YOU DOWN THAT PATH!
ALL GOD REQUIRES OF US IS THAT WE TRUST HIM EVERY STEP OF THE WAY!
Moses sang it well;
"IN YOUR STRENGTH, YOU WILL GUIDE US!"

Woodlands Intercession is still needed

Father, we come before You in Prayer and in Faith, believing. Your Word says You desire all men to be saved and come into the knowledge of truth. So we bring the Men, Women, and Children of the Woodlands Neighborhood that have yet to give their life to You, before You this day. We break the power of Satan from his assignments and activities in their lives, in the name and authority of Jesus the Christ.

 

 While Satan is bound, we ask that You send with us the perfect laborers to share the Good News of the Gospel in such a way that the people of the Woodlands neighborhood would listen and understand it. As the truth is ministered we believe they will come to their senses and come out of the snare of the devil and make Jesus the Lord of their life.

 

We believe the power of the Holy Spirit is activated as we intercede on their behalf. We praise and thank You for their salvation. We are confident that You Lord are alert and active watching over them. Your Word Lord will not return to You void. Therefore our confession of faith is, "God has begun a good work in their lives and He will perform it and bring it to completion until the day of Jesus Christ. In Jesus name."

WOODLANDS INTERCESSION

Don't quit now...We're just getting started! We had a great time at the outreach in the Woodlands neighborhood this weekend. We give praise to God, hundreds of people prayed to receive Jesus Christ, there was much brokenness, and there were a lot of people sharing testimonies and praying for one another....But the work is not done. There are still hundreds, maybe thousands of lives untouched and unsaved. We cannot slow down, we must continue to stand and fight for this neighborhood. Christians, let us continue in intercessory prayer, physically being present in the neighborhood, and sharing the Gospel Message. 

Feeling Alone & Broken? Here is the Cure...

I will extol the Lord AT ALL TIMES; His praise will be on my lips. My soul will boast in the Lord; let the AFFLICTED hear and rejoice. Glorify the Lord with me; let us extol His name together. ~ Psalm 34:1-3 ~

We are to praise God at all times...during the good and during the bad. The text tells the afflicted (those who are sick, suffering, or in difficulties) to hear (listen to what God is saying) and rejoice (don't let the circumstance keep you from praising God) finally, let's praise Him together! The Word tells us God inhanits the praises of His people. So let's make a choice to praise God together. Reach out to another Christian or Christians, talk to them, share what your going through, and pray together, not just asking God for help, but giving Him praises even in the midst of suffering. And then, let us stand firm knowing God is in complete control. The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit

Exodus 14:15-16
Then the Lord said to Moses, 'Why are you crying out to me? Tell the Israelites to move on. Raise your staff and stretch out your hand over the sea to divide the water so that the Israelites can go through the sea on dry ground.'"
'FAITH', BY ITSELF, CAN NOT ACCOMPLISH THE DESIRED GOAL.
'FAITH' MUST BE FOLLOWED WITH 'ACTION' IN ORDER FOR GOD'S MIGHTY HAND TO MOVE!
"PRAYER GETS GOD'S ATTENTION!
"BUT 'ACTIVE FAITH' PUTS HIS HAND IN MOTION!"

WOODLANDS INTERCESSION

Don't quit now...We're just getting started! We had a great time at the outreach in the Woodlands neighborhood this weekend. We give praise to God, hundreds of people prayed to receive Jesus Christ, there was much brokenness, and there were a lot of people sharing testimonies and praying for one another....

But the work is not done.

There are still hundreds, maybe thousands of lives untouched and unsaved. We cannot slow down, we must continue to stand and fight for this neighborhood. Christians, let us continue in intercessory prayer, physically being present in the neighborhood, and sharing the Gospel Message.  

Exodus 4:31
"And when they heard that the Lord was concerned about them and had seen their misery, they bowed down and worshiped."
IT IS GOOD TO KNOW THAT WE ARE CARED FOR!
The Israelites, at the thought that God would concern Himself with their present condition, moved them to drop & honor their Creator!
IT WASN'T A RELIGIOUS ACT!
It wasn't simply the overwhelming reality that they no longer had ...

to try & do it all alone! Now they had a supernatural power proclaiming to them, "I WANT TO HELP YOU!"
THE SAME IS TRUE TODAY!
THERE ARE MANY STRUGGLING PEOPLE IN THIS WORLD WHO ARE NOT IN NEED OF SOME 5 HOUR SERMON, BUT A SIMPLE & SINCERE REMINDER THAT GOD WANTS TO HELP THEM!
"BE A 'MOSES' TO SOMEONE TODAY & GOD WILL RECEIVE THE GLORY!"

Genesis 50:19
"But Joseph said to them, “Don't be afraid. Am I in the place of God?"
KNOW YOUR PLACE,
OR BE PUT IN YOUR PLACE.
DON'T ASSUME TO PLAY THE ROLE OF GOD,
BUT INSTEAD, ASSUME THE ROLE OF A WORSHIPPER!
TODAY, DON'T GO TO CHURCH SERVICE TO JUDGE EVERYONE THERE! (what they're wearing, or how they're walking!)
INSTEAD, GO WITH A HEART FULL OF GRATITUDE & WORSHIP YOUR CREATOR!