Murph
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Post by Murph on Nov 5, 2020 12:44:54 GMT -6
Looking at our predicament in the United States today as Christians...watching as homosexuality becomes the norm, abortion widely accepted as a way to solve that pesky little problem of promiscuous sexual behavior, states legalizing drugs, voting to build casinos for gambling...and I could go on and on...
I thought of the prophet Habakkuk...
He has been called the doubting Thomas of the Old Testament.
Now here is what was going on...
It appears that Habakkuk was more concerned with solving a problem than delivering a message which is where so many of us are. But we can learn a lesson from Habakkuk. When he was faced with a great set of unsolvable problems instead of wavering or abandoning his faith as many of us are doing...he took it to God.
He saw judgment coming for Judah because of their sins. The growing power of the Babylonians were a rising concern for Habakkuk and therein lay the problem. That the Judeans were wicked and sinning...was a obvious fact...but still they were the people of God. Habakkuk could see that God had to punish sin and that Judah couldn't escape the chastening Hand of God.
A judgment was coming and Habakkuk knew it. In Habakkuk's day the Lord used the Babylonians to bring judgment on Judah. But when he looked at the Babylonians, the people God would use to chastise Judah, he could see that they were worse than the Jews. How God could punish a nation by a less righteous nation was a puzzle to Habakkuk.
It is a problem that has occurred over and over in history...and it is as pertinent today as it ever was...maybe more so because we are clearly in the end times.
Habakkuk took his doubts and problems to God...which is where so many of us are going with ours today.
The key verse in Habakkuk is..."The just shall live by faith." We have said before that if we can find the "key" in any book of the Bible we can unlock it...
Habakkuk, like so many of us, wanted to understand everything, but God showed him it could never be.
Instead he must trust...we must trust God in the dark...we are not going to get all the answers in this life.
When Habakkuk learned that lesson he also discovered that God could be trusted.
Read this somewhere long ago and remembered it...The world says, "seeing is believing." But Faith says "believing is seeing."
We are probably living in one of the darkest period in our history in the United States...hearts are full of fear, anxiety, distrust, frustration.
We are where Habakkuk was...who went to the Lord...and laid his problem before God. So what did the Lord say to Habakkuk when he asked?
"And the LORD answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it.
For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.
Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith." Habbakuk 2:2-4
There is more...go read...
But meanwhile, here is the conclusion..."But the Lord is in his holy temple: let all the earth keep silence before him." Habakkuk 2:20
and remember...We walk by faith.
Amen.
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Murph
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Post by Murph on Nov 7, 2020 19:01:26 GMT -6
Love it when the Lord taps me on the shoulder and says, "Read this." The passage that came to mind was...
"But the ship was now in the midst of the sea, tossed with waves: for the wind was contrary. And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea. And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit; and they cried out for fear. But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid. And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water." Matthew 14:24-28
This is where we find ourselves now. We are a drift in a stormy sea in a ship tossed by the waves...Jesus is walking toward us. Did we forget Who He is?...did we forget that He is Lord and Creator of the universe, that he can speak and the waters still and the storm stops...did we forget?
"And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus." v.29
We stepped out onto the water, our eyes on Jesus...we were full of faith and hope, but when things didn't go our way we take our eyes off Jesus and put them on the storm and look what happened...
"But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me." v.30
We look around us and see the turmoil...the storm. As we begin to sink, we cry out to Jesus! Lord, save us!!!
"And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?" v.31
So wherefore didst we doubt?...we of so little faith. Jesus has us and will catch us when we cry out to Him, turn our eyes back to Him. It is we who took our eyes off Jesus, He never left us and He will lift us up.
We have no idea where this is all going...oh, we have an outline in the Prophecies in the Bible...but not the details. Lord has the details and we need to hang onto our faith and keep our eyes on Jesus.
This is my Father's world. I rest me in the thought.
Amen.
"Lord I believe...please help my unbelief." Mark 9:24
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Murph
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Post by Murph on Nov 8, 2020 8:50:06 GMT -6
Lord said go back and look again at Matthew 14, so I did.
Here is what I found and the end to the story...
"And when they were come into the ship, the wind ceased. Then they that were in the ship came and worshipped him, saying, Of a truth thou art the Son of God." Matthew 14:32-33
Let's have a re-cap...
"But the ship was now in the midst of the sea, tossed with waves: for the wind was contrary. And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea. And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit; and they cried out for fear. But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid. And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water. And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus. But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me. And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?" Matthew 14:24-31
Now watch this...
"And when they were come into the ship, the wind ceased." Matthew 14:32
See the storm ceased!
"Then they that were in the ship came and worshipped him, saying, Of a truth thou art the Son of God." Matthew 14:32-33
This time I started humming and it wasn't long before I broke out into song!!! This is what I was singing...
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Murph
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Post by Murph on Nov 9, 2020 19:46:56 GMT -6
There are two things about the Bible that we can do to make the words come alive for us. One, there is almost always a way to put ourselves in the story. If we can imagine ourselves in the story...the story comes alive. The other thing is to give your mind over to the Holy Spirit and let Him show you the story...He scrolls word pictures by as you read the passage.
and again the story comes alive...
Been thinking about the times and events unfolding around us today. Have tried to settle my mind about the elections, covid, the hate, and violence we are seeing. Have done that by looking to the Lord and reading my Bible, and have shared what I have learned with all of you.
Have come to the conclusion that although we have the outline of the End Times in the prophecies of the Bible...we don't have the details so have to stand on our faith.
As soon as I realized that...another piece unfurled in front of me and I walked on.
Here is what I saw and why I am getting excited...In Exodus 14 is a story we have heard since childhood. Moses had led the Hebrews out of bondage in Egypt and they had arrived on the shores of the Red Sea. We all know the story.
"And when Pharaoh drew nigh, the children of Israel lifted up their eyes, and, behold, the Egyptians marched after them; and they were sore afraid: and the children of Israel cried out unto the LORD. And they said unto Moses, Because there were no graves in Egypt, hast thou taken us away to die in the wilderness? wherefore hast thou dealt thus with us, to carry us forth out of Egypt? Is not this the word that we did tell thee in Egypt, saying, Let us alone, that we may serve the Egyptians? For it had been better for us to serve the Egyptians, than that we should die in the wilderness." Exodus 14:10-12
We are with the Jews...we have left Egypt and slavery. We have traveled thru swamp and wilderness, and have come out at the Red sea. All of a sudden we realize all that dust on the horizon is the Egyptian army coming after us and we are terrified.
The Egyptians on one side and the Red Sea on the other and no way out.
Very like the situation we find ourselves in today. A very liberal government about to take the reigns of power on one side, covid on the other, and no way out.
Back to the story...
Our eyes turn to Moses...and this is what we hear him say,
"Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will shew to you to day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more for ever. The Lord shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace." Exodus 13-14
Do you see that! "The Lord shall fight for you..."
As we watch the Lord speaks to Moses and Moses raises his staff over the sea...Lord says, "But lift thou up thy rod, and stretch out thine hand over the sea, and divide it: and the children of Israel shall go on dry ground through the midst of the sea." Exodus 14:16
We watch in awe as the sea walls up uncovering a passage across to the other side...and not only that...on dry ground! All the while the Lord holds the Egyptians off with a pillar dark on one side so the Egyptians can't see and fire on the other to light the Hebrew's way.
Behind us is the pillar of fire and in front of us is the way to the Promised Land!
Hold on to your hats Church...we may be standing on the shores very close to seeing some miracles today.
"Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will shew to you to day..."Exodus 14:16
Amen.
Now there is far more to this story than I have told here, so I am hoping you will go read it for yourself.
But I want you to take note of what happened to the Egyptians...
"And the Egyptians pursued, and went in after them to the midst of the sea, even all Pharaoh's horses, his chariots, and his horsemen. And it came to pass, that in the morning watch the LORD looked unto the host of the Egyptians through the pillar of fire and of the cloud, and troubled the host of the Egyptians, And took off their chariot wheels, that they drave them heavily: so that the Egyptians said, Let us flee from the face of Israel; for the LORD fighteth for them against the Egyptians. And the LORD said unto Moses, Stretch out thine hand over the sea, that the waters may come again upon the Egyptians, upon their chariots, and upon their horsemen. And Moses stretched forth his hand over the sea, and the sea returned to his strength when the morning appeared; and the Egyptians fled against it; and the LORD overthrew the Egyptians in the midst of the sea. And the waters returned, and covered the chariots, and the horsemen, and all the host of Pharaoh that came into the sea after them; there remained not so much as one of them. But the children of Israel walked upon dry land in the midst of the sea; and the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand, and on their left. Thus the LORD saved Israel that day out of the hand of the Egyptians; and Israel saw the Egyptians dead upon the sea shore." Exodus 14:23-30
and that's the end of the story...but hold up. Maybe not quite the end...
"And Israel saw that great work which the LORD did upon the Egyptians: and the people feared the LORD, and believed the LORD, and his servant Moses." Exodus 14:31
We may be on the verge of seeing a great work the Lord is going to do...so you see why I am getting excited.
Amen.
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Murph
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Post by Murph on Nov 11, 2020 10:35:24 GMT -6
Why Lord? President Trump was making America strong again...making the USA a super, super power again. We had knocked down unemployment, stock market and the economy were booming, when the pandemic struck he mobilized industry to product the things we needed to help and to fight the virus, he made peace pacts between ancient enemies and Israel...and so much more.
So why? Why Biden?
Thought of a passage in Exodus 14.
Seems we are in a similar position today as the Hebrews were then. The Egyptian Army was behind them on their exodus from Egypt, and the Red Sea in front...seemed they were trapped...and so it seems for us today.
But look what happened. Lord parted the Red Sea...
"Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will shew to you to day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more for ever. The Lord shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace." vs.13-14
So we stand on the shore with our enemy behind us and the sea in front of us...
Waiting for the sea to part.
Might, you know...with the Lord miracles happened then and can now.
See why I am getting excited?
Amen.
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Murph
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Post by Murph on Nov 13, 2020 11:24:06 GMT -6
"God can move mountains but do not be surprised when He hands you a shovel."
Read that today and it reminded me of a favorite story.
There was a woman whose husband was a student at Elisha's prophet school and he died leaving the woman with 2 sons. She couldn't pay her debts and as was the custom at that time, the creditors wanted to take her two sons to be sold into slavery.
She went to Elisha asking for help...and this is what happened.
"And Elisha said unto her, What shall I do for thee? tell me, what hast thou in the house? And she said, Thine handmaid hath not any thing in the house, save a pot of oil.
Then he said, Go, borrow thee vessels abroad of all thy neighbours, even empty vessels; borrow not a few.
And when thou art come in, thou shalt shut the door upon thee and upon thy sons, and shalt pour out into all those vessels, and thou shalt set aside that which is full.
So she went from him, and shut the door upon her and upon her sons, who brought the vessels to her; and she poured out.
And it came to pass, when the vessels were full, that she said unto her son, Bring me yet a vessel. And he said unto her, There is not a vessel more. And the oil stayed.
Then she came and told the man of God. And he said, Go, sell the oil, and pay thy debt, and live thou and thy children of the rest." 2 Kings 2:2-7
Now watch this...Elisha told her to go collect vessels, lots of them, from her neighbors. God could have created beautiful vessels, many many vessels...made of gold and silver, encrusted with precious jewels. He could have created an entire lake full of oil. But he didn't...Elisha instructed her to go collect vessels from her neighbors.
"God can move mountains but do not be surprised when He hands you a shovel." God does for us what we can't do for ourselves...
and we are about to see a small miracle.
The widow continued to follow Elisha instructions and closed up her house. The boys started to bring the vessels and one by one she filled them from the one jar she had until they were all full. She could have filled more had she presented them...
Lesson from that, the Holy Spirit will only fill what we present. Present ourselves and He will fill us up full!
Love that story...
A second one...The story of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead. We all know and love that story. We know Jesus went to the home of his friend who had died days before...stood at the cave where Lazarus was buried.
"Jesus said, Take ye away the stone. Martha, the sister of him that was dead, saith unto him, Lord, by this time he stinketh: for he hath been dead four days.
Jesus saith unto her, Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God?
Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead was laid..." John 11:39-41a
Now look again...Jesus told the people standing around the cave to roll away the stone. Jesus could have commanded the stone to roll away...He could have made the rock disappear.
But He didn't. He told the people to roll the stone away.
"God can move mountains but do not be surprised when He hands you a shovel."
Amen...
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Murph
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Post by Murph on Dec 21, 2020 13:03:49 GMT -6
"And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon.
And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed.
And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men, And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live.
And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed.
And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name." Revelation 13:11-17
Now read that last sentence again...This is what Christians like me are looking at and thinking...the masks, the distancing, the political hype, neighbors turning in neighbors, condemning other people for not wearing masks and social distancing, for not obeying the government?...is it all conditioning? Getting the world ready for the appearance of the Anti-Christ?
Most likely that is exactly what we are seeing. The Anti-Christ hasn't reared his ugly head, that is yet to come.
"For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved." 2 Thessalonians 2:7-10
But what we are seeing is conditioning...like Pavlov's dogs.
I and others like me, followers of Jesus Christ, won't be here when the Anti-Christ makes his appearance.
"For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord." 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17
We will have hear a shout and a trumpet sound and we will all be gone in the twinkling of an eye.
"In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed..." 1 Corinthians 15:52
So all this conditioning isn't a problem for me. I see it for what it is and will use my common sense and follow the Lord...I will be careful because I have a beautiful story to tell, the Gospel story. Time is growing short...and the story must be told! Lord said so...He said,
"Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen." Matthew 28:19-20
I say all this for a myriad of reasons but the greatest is...go into this with your eyes open, don't be fooled...by the deceit and subterfuge coming from all directions on this earth. Listen to the Lord and to the Bible.
The greatest reason of all is this...If you haven't accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior...keep your ears and your heart open.
If He knocks...open the door, and let Him in!
Amen.
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Murph
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Post by Murph on Jan 10, 2021 17:56:02 GMT -6
Pretty good sermon today. It was from Matthew 9 about the calling of Matthew...watch this.
"And as Jesus passed forth from thence, he saw a man, named Matthew, sitting at the receipt of custom: and he saith unto him, Follow me. And he arose, and followed him." Matthew 9:9
Jesus walked up to Matthew and said, "Follow me..."
Pastor pointed out that there is an implied promise in that statement...hadn't realized that before. There is!
If Jesus calls us to follow Him...He will lead and He will always lead us in the right direction.
So many times over the past few days I have thought what we need is a strong leader...to lead us out of this mess.
What I was failing to realize is...I already have a leader and His name is,
Jesus...
Now if that don't make ya want to jump up and down in your pew, and dance, and shout hallelujah! Ain't nuttin' will!!!
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Murph
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Post by Murph on Jan 21, 2021 15:51:01 GMT -6
Have been reading several preachers and some others admonishing us to pray for our country, leaders and so forth...
I have tried but can't seem to do it, prayers seem to go nowhere. This passage keeps occurring to me.
"Therefore pray not thou for this people, neither lift up cry nor prayer for them, neither make intercession to me: for I will not hear thee. Seest thou not what they do in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem?" Jeremiah 7:16-17
Here is what was going on. Israel had already fallen to the Assyrians.
Judah was about to meet God's judgment head on because of their continual sins...and refusal to repent and turn back to Him.
Jeremiah, the prophet tried to pray but couldn't...and that passage is what God told him.
That passage is now occurring to me...I think maybe judgment might be coming to the United States.
So I am praying for God's will.
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Post by Keith on Jan 21, 2021 18:47:23 GMT -6
So I am praying for God's will. Me, too.
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Murph
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Post by Murph on Jan 26, 2021 12:39:41 GMT -6
Answer to a challenge...from a young Christian who is practicing zazen as part of an effort he said to focus on his life...
I called him on it and he said Christianity needed to be more contemporary so it would draw people and not drive them away. He said some other things too.
and he challenged me to show him where in the Bible it says he shouldn't do that...
First one right out of the chute in answer to how people are drawn to the Gospel...
"So then faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the Word of God." Roman 10:17
It is the word that ...not Buddist meditation or any other thing...it is hearing the Word of God. It is like C.H. Spurgeon said..."The Gospel is like a caged lion...all you have to do is let it loose..."
Then there is this...when Jesus wanted to distance from the emotional, mental, and the physical stress of this world and the press of humanity...did He sit cross-legged on the floor with His fingers resting in a Buddist position on His knees? No...He went to the mountain tops, and to the deserts...He went to a garden, and He prayed.
"But so much the more went there a fame abroad of him: and great multitudes came together to hear, and to be healed by him of their infirmities. And he withdrew himself into the wilderness, and prayed." Luke 5:15-16
"Then cometh Jesus with them unto a place called Gethsemane, and saith unto the disciples, Sit ye here, while I go and pray yonder...' Matthew 26:36
He questioned when I warned not to change things written in the Bible by saying the bible doesn't say he can't meditate using zazen...
Bible is very clear on that...it says...
"For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.:" Revelation 22:18-19.
Pretty strong warning.
and here is another. When people look to someone as a spiritual leader...a preacher or teacher...then one has to be very careful not to lead others astray...
"It were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he cast into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones." Luke 17:2
I think and I pray he knows way down deep inside...that those of us who spoke out are right, and that he is going to think about it, and pray on it.
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Murph
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Post by Murph on Feb 11, 2021 11:11:02 GMT -6
Had this on my mind, been thinking about it.
A couple of day ago someone I have known for sometime...made a post on FB about prayer. He clearly didn't understand why Christians pray. "Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them." Matthew 7:20, immediately came to mind. My friend is not saved.
Several Christians tried to explain but he seemed to vacillate between laughing at us and hostility. He finally deleted the post altogether. I pray it is because the Holy Spirit was doing some convicting...but I fear it is because he was being beaten back by a bunch of Christians. Granted we are a rag tag group...but our Leader is very very powerful so we really aren't concerned about that.
Be that as it may, several passages from the Bible have been occurring to me as I think on the matter. This is one and it has popped up several times since in other places.
"Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts..." 2 Peter 3:3
I truly hate to think the person was "scoffing" but I truly think he was...the synonyms for scoffing are to mock, deride, ridicule. That is how he was coming across.
His contention was that Christian pray and then expect God to do everything for us while we sit by and watch...
I would draw his attention to one of the many stories in the Bible that illustrate quite the opposite. The widow and Elisah is one of my favorites. Her husband was attending the prophet's school when he died. The widow had nothing and her creditors were coming after her children as payment of her debts. It was the custom in that day.
She went to Elisha for help...he ran the school. After finding out all she had in her house was one jar of olive oil Elisha instructed her to go to her neighbor's homes and borrow every jar and vessel she could that would hold oil. She did and the Holy Spirit filled them all with oil. She sold the olive oil and got out of debt. 2 Kings 4:1-7
Now watch this...God could have created thousands of jars in a heartbeat. But He didn't. Instead he instructed the widow to supply the jars. The symbolism there is beautiful but that is a story for another day.
You get the point...God doesn't automatically supply anything and everything we ask for. Prayer just doesn't work that way.
Here is another story that occurred to me. The unsaved need to beware of a bunch of Christians...or even just one Christian...deep in prayer and appearing to do nothing. There is probably a lot of divine activity...the secular world just can't see it or understand it.
The Philistines were amassing against King David and his army...David went to God in prayer and asked for his help defeating the Philistine...the ancient enemy of Israel. Lord told King David to go over to a grove of Mulberry trees and wait, and when he saw the tops of the trees begin to stir...to move out. The wind stirring the trees was a Heavenly army of Angels going to battle with him, leading the way. King David whooped some righteous Philistine butts that day...2 Samuel 5:22-25
Here is the problem for the unsaved. They don't understand the things of God. They understand many things of the world but spiritual things are out of their reach and in fact seem foolish to them.
"Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man.For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ." 1 Corinthians 2:13-16
All is not lost for the lost tho...for the unsaved. There is a remedy for their problem of living in the dark...
No matter how dark their world and their soul the Lord can bring His brilliant light into their world and illuminate their souls and their minds. Then they will understand why we pray...and the power of our prayer. They will know what we know...and will understand what we understand...the things of eternity and the Kingdom of God. They will become a member in good standing of the family of God. "Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture." Psalm 100:3
We are not citizens of this world, but of Heaven. We are pilgrims just passing thru on our way home. We are beggars with bread trying to tell other beggars where we found it.
Jesus told us..."I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." John 14:6
and He further said..."...and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out." John 3:37b
so as Isaiah puts it..."Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labour for that which satisfieth not? hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness. Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David." Isaiah 55:1-3
Amen!
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Murph
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Post by Murph on Mar 28, 2021 12:02:37 GMT -6
The announcement was made as part of the Easter Service next Sunday there will be Communion at my church. I got so excited...it has been a year since I could take part in the Last Supper.
My mind went from there to the Upper Room and the apostles having that last meal with Christ...
from there to an arrest and a series of trials...and 3 denials from Peter...heard a rooster crowing in the distance.
From there to beatings, whippings...a crown of thorns and a robe.
I saw Jesus pick up the cross and drop to His knees...saw a man pulled from the crowd by soldiers to carry the cross beam on which the Lord's hands would be nailed.
I saw a hill and 3 crosses...
Hours later it was over...
Jesus was dead.
I saw Joseph of Arimathea go to ask for the body...and that is where the story slows down in my mind.
I saw Joseph and several others go to the hill...saw them raise the center beam up and carefully gently lower it to the ground.
When I remember this the tears begin to flow, I see theirs and I feel mine...happens every time.
They had loved, followed, and trusted this Man Jesus for 3 solid years. They had pinned all their hope and dreams on Him and He is dead. They think it is all over. Many of Christ's followers have fled and many have gone into hiding...including the Apostles.
They gently remove the spikes driven thur His hands and feet...they carry Him to an empty tomb in a garden nearby and they bath Him...they wash off the blood, mud, spittle...and they gentle and tenderly dry His body and wrap it in linen...they lay Him on a stone shelf in the tomb and lay a napkin over His face.
They look down on Him one more time...turn and leave.
The cleats are knocked from the rock in front of the door and the stone rolls into place closing the tomb...
tears roll down their faces and by the time I get to this point in the story, they roll down mine.
Now we wait...
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Murph
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Post by Murph on Apr 3, 2021 10:48:04 GMT -6
"And it was about the sixth hour, and there was a darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour. And the sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was rent in the midst. And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit: and having said thus, he gave up the ghost." Luke 23:44-46
They carefully removed the body of Jesus from the cross and laid Him in an empty tomb...
Christ’s flesh died, but His spirit remained alive. Jesus’ body was in the tomb but His spirit, having departed at His death, was elsewhere for those three days.
Where did He go? It is another favorite story of mine about Easter...we go to the Bible for the answer.
Peter gives a little bit of specific information about what happened in those three days between Jesus’ death and resurrection. Jesus “preached” to the spirits in prison...
""For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit: By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison..." 1 Peter 3:15-16a
According to Peter, sometime between Jesus’ death and His resurrection Jesus made a special proclamation to some imprisoned spirits.
Where were these spirits? Again we turn to the Bible for the answer...
We go to a story Jesus told. Some say it is a parable but I think it is a true story...you see in no parable did Jesus mention anyone's name. In the story He tell in Luke 16...He calls Lazarus by name. He knows our names...remember the story of Mary in the garden?
In the Luke 16 story Lazarus and the rich man are both dead. Lazarus was a believer, the rich man was not. They were in a place called Hades in the Bible.
Hades is a term that refers, broadly, to the realm of the dead, a temporary place for both the lost and the Old Testament saints.
In the Luke 16 story we learn Hades is divided into two places with a gulf of some kind in between, the lost on one side and the Old Testament Saint on the other.
Our Lord Jesus yielded His spirit to the Father, died physically, and entered paradise, as He had promised the thief on the cross, Luke 23:43. At some time between His death and resurrection, Jesus also delivered a message. Peter doesn't tell us what Jesus proclaimed, but What Jesus proclaimed was probably a declaration of His victory over Satan and his hosts, 1 Peter 3:22 and Colossians 2:15.
Can you imagine the lost on the other side of Hades hearing that. They know are forever doomed.
In my minds eye...I can see Jesus speaking across the gulf between the two compartments...Jesus standing in paradise with the thief from the cross and all the Old Testament Saints...and the lost and probably some fallen angels on the other side. They now know Jesus was victorious over sin and death.
Now we come to the part of the story I love to hear...and think about.
"Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. (Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth? He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.)" Ephesians 4:9-10
"Thou hast ascended on high, thou hast led captivity captive: thou hast received gifts for men; yea, for the rebellious also, that the LORD God might dwell among them." Psalm 68:18
Jesus gathered all the redeemed who were in paradise and took them to their permanent dwelling in Heaven. They formed a grand parade and marched right down the streets of Heaven straight to the Throne Room of God!!!
There marched Enoch and Moses, Abraham and Issac, Jacob and his sons, Noah and his family, Ruth, Boaz, Esther...King David and King Solomon...all of David's mighty men...all those mentioned in Hebrews 11, so many... and so many we will get to meet and greet when we get to Heaven.
I want to see that parade! One day I want to be in another parade...
When we hear the shout and the trumpet sound...
I want to be in that Easter Parade. We will march in a grand parade right down the main street of Heaven and right into our Father's Throne room...the Bride of Christ...one grand and glorious body of saints from the moment of the Pentecost to the moment the trumpet sounded calling us home...
Now if that don't make ya want to jump up and down in your pew and shout Hallejuah, Amen, and Praise the Almighty Jehovah...ain't nothin' will.
Happy Easter!
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Murph
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Post by Murph on May 10, 2021 8:57:06 GMT -6
Heard in the introduction to a sermon...the prophecies being negated...relegated as unimportant, secondary.
It is a grave mistake to do that...they are very important and one of mountains on which we stand. Lord is coming and tis true we don't know the day nor the hour but we can know the season...
"...When it is evening, ye say, It will be fair weather: for the sky is red. And in the morning, It will be foul weather to day: for the sky is red and lowring. O ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky; but can ye not discern the signs of the times?" Matthew 16:2-3
The whole thing said yesterday was predicated on this phrase..."We don't know the day or the hour of the Lord's return."
Lame argument...we truly don't know the exact moment but we do know He is coming...so let's go to the Bible and see what I discovered.
Went looking for one thing and the Holy Spirit showed me something else...
Watch this...
"Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come." Matthew 25:42
"But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up." Matthew 24:43
"Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh." Matthew 25:44
"Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is." Mark 13:33
"For the Son of man is as a man taking a far journey, who left his house, and gave authority to his servants, and to every man his work, and commanded the porter to watch." Mark 13:34
"Watch ye therefore: for ye know not when the master of the house cometh, at even, or at midnight, or at the cockcrowing, or in the morning..." Mark 13:35
"Lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping." Mark 13:36
"And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch." Mark 13:37
"Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man." Luke 21:36
"Therefore watch, and remember, that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears." Acts 20:31
"Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong." 1 Corinthians 16:13
"Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober." 1 Timothy 5:6
"But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry." 2 Timothy 4:5
"But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer." 1 Peter 4:7
"Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:" 1 Peter 5:8
"Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame." Revelation 16:15
They all reinforce that we don't know the day or hour.
But we do know the Lord is coming and every single one of those verses admonishes us to watch and to be ready...
every...single...one.
How do we watch...and how do we make ready?
Why...we study the prophecies in the Bible.
Amen.
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Murph
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Post by Murph on Jun 2, 2021 20:00:51 GMT -6
"And when he had opened the third seal, I heard the third beast say, Come and see. And I beheld, and lo a black horse; and he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand. And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say, A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny; and see thou hurt not the oil and the wine." Revelation 6:5-6
Way off in the distance I can see a black horse...and a man holding a set of scales.
The rider on the horse is commanded to leave untouched the luxuries of the rich...but the staples, the wheat and barley of the poor...those are to be weighted out a pinch at a time.
In Bible times a man would work all day for a penny. In the days to come, famine and inflation will play havoc with the economy of the world...and a man's days wages will buy only enough for the poorest foods...if they can be found.
..."but," you say..."it has happened before. History is full of stories of famine and economic disaster." You would be right...it has happened before.
But look at the world today thru the third lens of the scriptures...and I can see a black horse and a rider coming...sometimes you have to look backwards to see forward, and I can see a black horse, and rider with a set of scales.
It has happen before. It is with us today. It will happen again. The stage is being set and this dreaded rider is not yet abroad. It is only his shadow we see.
But when he comes...and I think soon...he will wipe out mankind by the millions...and he will turn the survivors to the buttery smooth lips of the Beast.
"Frightening times." you say..."Yea," I say..."but exciting..."
Rider and horse are close enough that I can hear the hoof beats...feel the earth quake.
But wait!...shhhhh! Whose footsteps are those I hear?
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Murph
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Post by Murph on Jun 3, 2021 9:26:45 GMT -6
This has bothered me since I heard it in a sermon...Preacher said..."Bible says we don't know the day nor hour...so..." Rest of the statement negated the importance of the Prophecies and of watching for "...that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ" Titus 2:13.
Here is what Jesus said...watch this...
"...When it is evening, ye say, It will be fair weather: for the sky is red. And in the morning, It will be foul weather to day: for the sky is red and lowring. O ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky; but can ye not discern the signs of the times?" Matthew 16:2-3
We don't know the day or hour but we can know the times.
We have seen the signs, if we are students of the Bible...and know Jesus's return is not only eminent, but becoming immediate.
What sign have we seen that these are those times?
Now watch and pay attention...here is what started God's huge time piece beating again. It paused for the Age of Grace...but it started ticking again at this event.
"Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh...Matthew 24:32
Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When her branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is near...Luke Mark 13:28"
What is Jesus talking about?...He is talking about the rebirth of Israel as a nation. That happened in May 1948. For 2000 years Israel didn't exist but in May 1948 the United Nations declared a tiny patch of land on the Mediterranean Sea the Nation of Israel. That is what He was talking about. We know He is at the door...
Well...low and behold a bunch of evangelical preachers are now saying the rebirth of Israel has nothing to do with the Coming of Jesus...and hint that the Jews and Israel have been set aside permanently by God. It is called "replacement theology."
Horsefeathers!...this is what I have to say to that...it is what Paul said.
"Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first... " 2 Thessalonian 2:1-3
It was called a falling away by Paul and is called the apostacy in our day. They are unwittingly fulfilling the ancient prophecy...pointing directly to the return of Jesus...and soon!
"...Even so...come Lord Jesus." Revelation 22:20
Amen.
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Post by Murph on Jun 19, 2021 11:07:08 GMT -6
The Lord's letters to 7 churches...
There are three ways to study the letters to the 7 churches in Revelation.
The first is just basic. These are letters dictated by the risen Lord to 7 literal churches in western Asia Minor toward the end of the first century of the Christian era. The seven churches are the church at Ephesus, the church at Smyrna, Pergamos, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and finally Laodicea
A second way is to view the churches as churches with conditions that have existed in churches from the beginning and still do today. Churches have always faced persecution, worldliness, false doctrine, and tradition or lukewarmness.
The third way, and the way most interesting to me, is to view the church prophetically. Many see the letters to the 7 churches as a church history from the close of the apostolic age to the end of the age of grace...the end of this dispensation.
Each church is seen as representing a different stage of that history. We are going to zero in on today's church...the church at Laodicea...lukewarm...neither hot nor cold...neither one thing or the other. It is a nauseating mixture of things.
The present day church is wealthy, worldly, riddled with compromise, cults, carnality. It's fate...is to be spewed out...literally vomited out of the Lord's mouth when He comes for His church. The true church will go with Jesus...the apostate church will be left behind.
So let's talke a closer look at the church at Laodecia.
It was the fashionable church and the city itself known for it's prosperity. Several times the city had recovered from disaster without asking for governmental help. They did it on their own.
Their bankers were well known even in Rome.
The city was also known for their black wool. It was home to a medical school and was a well known manufacturer of a special eye ointment.
All this was reflected by the Lord's words to this church...the church at Laodicea.
The wealthy, boastful believers were instructed to buy from the Lord gold, tried in fire, to anoint their eyes with eye salve, and to acquire from Him raiment of purest white.
Now, let's break it down...
"And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God; I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot." Revelation 3:14-15
What if you went to the Doctor and he was just lukewarm about disease? You ask, "What's wrong with me Doc?" He just looks up from the papers on his desk and says..."Nothing to worry about...just a bad case of bubonic plague."
"Well," you ask, "aren't you going to do something about it...medicine or something. People die from that don't they."
To which he replies..."Oh it's OK...you have to die sometime and it just as well be from Bubonic plague as anything else. Diseases don't interest me too much. Now if it was surgery that might interest me." Imagine a Doctor lukewarm about diseases.
Now Imagine a church lukewarm about Christ, It makes about as much sense.
Now imagine a soldier lukewarm about a foe. The enemy advances but the soldier not being all that engaged, fails to go out to do battle. Imagine a fighter lukewarm about the foe! Imagine a church lukewarm about Jesus! makes about as much sense.
Yet that was the church at Laodecia.
There stands the Lord of Glory, the altogether Lovely One, the Chiefest among 10 thousand, the One Whom angels worship. There He stands, scars of nails in His hands, a look of pure love on His face...and this church shrugs it's shoulders and offers Him a lukewarm interest at best.
"Oh, that whou wert cold or hot..." He says.
In other words, " Give me all your hate or all your heart, but don't offer me lukewarm love. I will spew you out of my mouth."
Now watch this..."And unto the angel of the church of the Laodecians..." It's as if He is saying the church at Laodecia was not His...it was theirs...it was the church of the Laodecian's. The Lord stands before this church indignantly, yet lovingly, and to present the challenge of His Person and His presence.
"These things sayeth the Amen."
This verse begins...with an Amen. Jesus is God's fullest Amen to all man's needs. Revelation begins and ends with a double amen. The first Amen has to do with Jesus as the final ruler of men, 1:6-7. The first amen gives us a glimpse of Jesus as prophet, priest, and king...spanning the ages between His comings, meeting all the needs of mankind, able to subdue all things to Himself.
With the last double amen God closes the book once and for all. He has nothing more to say. In Christ all has been said...From that point on men are referred to Him and Him alone. Both references refer us to His second coming. Jesus is the all conquering one.
"...the faithful and true witness..."
He is the faithful witness, the true witness...He doesn't pull a punch. He tells the truth without fail and furthermore...He sees thru the shams, shallowness, and outward shows in our lives. The eyes of Jesus penetrate all our falseness and all our disguises.
Society has invented 10,000 ways to conveniently blunt the sharp edge of the truth. The Lord Jesus is the faithful and true Witness. He sees a lukewarm church, penetrates it's little disguises, and tells it the truth...but with love, care, and concern.
He introduces Himself to the Laodecians as...
...the beginnings of the creation of God...
The creator of the universe, who flung the stars into space, plowed the place of the seas, raised up great mountain ranges...created the animals, created man.
He stands before this wretched little church, sees thru all it's little disguises...and sees exactly as it is, lukewarm.
And so the letter begins.
Says the Lord...
I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth." Revelation 3:15-16
The church was neither hot nor cold...neither one thing or the other...reduced to room temperature.
It was marked by complete compromise. An example is the story of Lot. The angels who visited this backslidden believer in Sodom could barely speak civilly to him, and only wit great reluctance did they accept his invitation to come spend the night in his home. They came as close to impatience as angles can.
The people of Sodom detested Lot. They allowed him to hold a high position in their councils but they sceered at his religion and at his sermons. Lot lost his fortue in Sodom, he lost his family, and he lost his faith...all because he wanted tje best of both this world and the world to come.
And so it was in Laodecia..."I would that thou wert cold or hot..." said the Lord.
"Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked..." Revelation 3:17
The church at Laodecia would want a bank president as head deacon...a big industrialist as treasurer, a member of the Senate for a secretary. The church at Laodecia had everything a world church could desire.
Important people no doubt, were on its boards...had huge accounts at the local banks...and occupied the most choice position in town. No doubt it had the best choir around and could call the most brilliant and eloquent preachers to their pulpit. They probably boasted a huge membership of the most influential and affluent people in town...and the church was wealthy.
It was the archetype of the present day church. The church today is seeking escape from reality going up a number of blind alleys.
Some seek escape in fundamentalism...correct faith and doctrine. But they are as hard as clay and as cold as ice. Some seek escape in exclusiveness... "we are the people and truth will die with us" is their creed. They are isolationist and ban contact with anyone, the unsaved, even other believers.
Other church look for escape in rituals, others in rationalism...some seek escape thru the social gospel...and others thru the name it and claim it gospel. Still others claim the universal church is the answer. Others look to occultism...claiming truth in tongues and healings...and still others look to materalism.
"You say you are rich and have become wealty and have need of nothing and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked."
The Lord warms this condition can have only one conclusion. He will spew this church out of His mouth. He will vomit them out.
"I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent." Revelation 3:18-19
The Lord gives this church...a choice...Grace or judgment.
The lord's council is a restoration of spiritual values. He says, "I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich...v 18a"
This church was destitute of anything of spiritual worth.
There has to be a gold standard , a return to the Lord. Money can't buy spiritual things...
Spiritual things can only be purchased by repentance and being yielded to the Holy Spirit.
Now...the Lord sets the remedy before the church at Laodicea..."I counsel thee to buy of me...white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear..."
Laodicea needed true righteousness. The world could see right thru it materialistic finery. The church was actually naked.
Brings to mine the story of "The Emperor's New Clothes"...the church at Laodicea was buck naked like the Emperor in the story.
The Lord demanded the church buy white raiment from Him so its shame would be covered and its nakedness clothed.
The Lord wanted this church to recapture its spiritual vision...He says, ""I councel thee to ...anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see..." The Lord says "come out of your blind alleys, take your head out of the sand. Let Me give you a vision of Heaven and Hell. Let me give you a vision of the King!"
The way to recapture spiritual values? one word...REPENT!
"As many as I love, I rebuke, and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent."
Then the Lord makes a statement that is one of the best known in the Bible...
"Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me." Revelation 3:20
The Lord was right outside the door of the church at Laodicea. He was, and is, asking for people to give Him His rightful place. This is the primary meaning of this verse.
But is has also been applied to the unsaved...
In the church of that day and in the church today...there are many unsaved members in the congregation.
What a tremendous view of Jesus our Lord and Savior. He is patient, pleading, and promising Savior of men.
In the Fellowship Hall at Beth Car Baptist Church in Halifax, Va. there is a copy of famous picture of Jesus. He is wearing a crown of thorns and standing outside a door...the hard bolted door of the human heart. He is patiently knocking...
Looking at the picture we are quick to notice there is no handle on the outside of the door...it is not a mistake.
You see the handle is on the inside.
Amen
Jesus makes 3 promised to anyone who will open the door...
"I will come in to him..."
"I will sup with him..."
" and he with Me..."
If we open our hearts to Him...He will open Heaven to us.
Shhhhh!...do you hear the knocking? Quick open the door and let the Lord into your heart today!!!
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Post by Murph on Sept 6, 2021 17:23:42 GMT -6
Have been wanting to write about this...
A few days ago I heard on Fox radio that Christians in Afghanistan are changing their status on their citizenship papers to Christian.
Apparently they have to carry some kind of papers that state their religious beliefs.
The News commentator couldn't understand why they would do that saying it was like signing a death warrant. I understood immediately exactly why...
There are two main reasons and more.
This is one of the passages that came to my mind..."But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven." Matthew 10:33.
But it is more than that...it is a testimony to the Lord. It is a light in the dark..."No man, when he hath lighted a candle, putteth it in a secret place, neither under a bushel, but on a candlestick, that they which come in may see the light." Luke 11:33
They are pointing to Jesus by their testimony.
I have thought long and hard about that. The Taliban according to eye witnesses are going door to door looking for Christians. They are cruel, barbaric, and evil people and I know they will torture and kill the Christians they find.
Would I have that kind of courage?
My personal answer is Yes. Already I have made it clear on the internet that I am a follower of Jesus Christ. I never hide my love for the Lord...and that I am a follower.
I have met Jesus face to face and know He is my Savior...and my Lord. I know He is alive and He is very real.
I know while I am here on earth He is with me and know when I die I will go to be with Him for eternity in Heaven. Either way, I can't lose.
I also know I don't feel worthy to stand anywhere near these brave brothers and sisters in Afghanistan when we all get to Heaven. I think they will be much closer to the Cross that I will tho I know the ground is level at the Cross...
I am thankful for them, their testimonies, their courage...and will be praying for them.
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Murph
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Post by Murph on Sept 11, 2021 11:02:22 GMT -6
Forgive them for 9-11? Hard one.
Been thinking about that and know forgiveness is part of the fabric of the Christianity we wear.
But Lord, how do I forgive something so evil, so horrible, so egregious...so unspeakable as what they did to us that day?
Then I remember what was done to You on another day 2000 years ago and You forgave them.
So maybe over time I can forgive, maybe...but I will never forget.
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