Dude!! The world is at a place that really can't get any worse. With that thought in mind I can't help but to think back at a time when I was younger and seemed everybody was concerned with living righteously in some way! People really used to feel bad for their sins. I mean come on, you know back in the day when you would come home and couldn't find anybody around the house you thought the rapture has taken place and you obviously got left behind. I can't count the times that happened to me as a kid.
In today's world many people don't think about the rapture as much and it's simply because we are so busy, we don't have time to be concerned with important stuff like a rapture. The scriptures do say that Jesus is returning for those that are "looking" for Him.
Romans 6:18 says, "Now you are free from your slavery to sin, and you have become slaves to righteous living." Since we are no longer a slave to sin, we are a slave to righteous living. To me it's simple am I living a life acceptable to God. In everything I do, am I pleasing to God? Yes, Jesus paid the for our sins At The cross and His grace is sufficient, there is no doubt. I just wish that each person that claims salvation would live as a slave to righteousness as the Word says.
So if you are reading this I want you to ask yourself one thing today. This is a big question with a simple answer. As a matter of fact it's either yes or no, don't try that lukewarm, in the middle stuff; just a yes or no... So here it is - the question that is so important - am I living a life acceptable to God?
Blessings
Pastor Ant
Help!!! I've Fallen and I can't get up
A couple years ago, as I was walking into my doctors office, there sat a crippled man on the ground unable to move by himself. There was another man trying to put him into his car but failing hopelessly. I stood there a minute and watched as he tried to get this man into his car.
I went over to see if I could help in any way, and it was just a massive disaster. Everytime we would get this man close to the car, involuntarily, he would somehow get in the way! It seemed there was nothing we could do.
Finally we told him, just relax we are trying to help you up and get you where you need to be. The sad thing to this situation is the man kept telling us how to do it and would get so dis-hearted when it would fail (it really was a task to get him in his car).
Proverbs 14:12 say, "There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death"
This is the struggle this crippled man was having. Ultimately he had no control of how to get in his car, and even though he had many ideas he had to absolutely trust we could get him there. There was nothing he could do to help. In fact his way caused failure everytime.
If we could only learn that our abilities and our way can and will fail. If only we would learn to trust God and that He can handle any situation that we are in. In the end he is the only one that can get us where we are trying to get anyway.
I went over to see if I could help in any way, and it was just a massive disaster. Everytime we would get this man close to the car, involuntarily, he would somehow get in the way! It seemed there was nothing we could do.
Finally we told him, just relax we are trying to help you up and get you where you need to be. The sad thing to this situation is the man kept telling us how to do it and would get so dis-hearted when it would fail (it really was a task to get him in his car).
Proverbs 14:12 say, "There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death"
This is the struggle this crippled man was having. Ultimately he had no control of how to get in his car, and even though he had many ideas he had to absolutely trust we could get him there. There was nothing he could do to help. In fact his way caused failure everytime.
If we could only learn that our abilities and our way can and will fail. If only we would learn to trust God and that He can handle any situation that we are in. In the end he is the only one that can get us where we are trying to get anyway.
Stay inside the Boundary! It's shocking out there!
Have you ever had the feeling that you just cannot escape sin. You know, the feeling that you are never gonna be set free; that feeling that you are trapped in this sin tendency. We've all been there! I have good new for you. JESUS LOVES YOU! Yes, that's right, He loves you. So why are you constantly loosing to a battle that has already been fought, and won. We spend way too much time trying to fix what has already been fixed. All we have to do is receive who we are in Christ and do our very best to maintain a minute by minute relationship with Him. Whoa! "a minute by minute relationship," that's a bit extreme isn't it? No way, I believe that to be our 'reasonable service" that Paul tells us about in Romans 12:1-2.
See the problem is that we tend to worry too much about the devil and how he is causing us to slip into sin. I need to remind you that the devil doesn't make you sin. STOP blaming him for what you willfully do; Luke 10:19 tells us that we have been given authority over the enemy. So really he is not an enemy at all, he is defeated; learning this is the first step of becoming free. However, this is how we fall, the devil tempts us and we obey. This is the process of sin, and that is how it happens every time.
I remember when I was training my Boxer, Ellie Mae, to stay within her new electric fence; I threw a piece of wienie outside the range of the fence. She ran after it so fast that she didn't know what hit her. The shock scared her so much, and it really hurt me to see it, but she had to learn. I pulled her back into the "safe zone" and loved on her, comforted her and let her know that she was safe and secure. After that, I stood up and threw another piece of wienie outside the boundary. She started after it quickly then stopped, realizing the the temptation was not worth the pain. I gave her a pat on the head and told how proud I was of her. Then, I threw another piece and guess what... ole Ellie Mae stood firm. She didn't move an inch! She looked at me with those puppy dog eyes that said, "I ain't that dumb, dummy." You see, she quickly learned that consequence comes from stepping outside the boundary. So Ellie Mae's response is, "I think I'll just stay here with you, the wienie just isn't worth it."
If we could learn to realize that "the wienie just isn't worth it," then we can overcome the temptation that satan put in front of us. Don't you know that he laughs at you every time you fall into his trap. You do NOT have to fall into that trap though, remember it's much safer right there in the presence of your Master. The next time satan puts a temptation in your path tell him, "I ain't that dumb, dummy; I am safe and sound in the presence of my Master and I am not about to fall for that trick." Never forget that God never allows you to be tempted beyond what you can overcome. So learn to be in God's presence every minute of everyday and you will see that it is much safer there with Him.
May the blessings of the Lord Overtake You!
