CEASE STRIVING AND BELIEVE GOD.

Have you have ever tried to please God by keeping the Law? (The Ten Commandments). Striving to keep the Law is an easy way to fall under condemnation.  What really pleases God, is our FAITH, Hebrews 11:6,"Without FAITH it is impossible to PLEASE Him, for whoever would draw near to God must BELIEVE that He exists and that He rewards those who seek him" It is NOT by trying to keep the Law.  

The Law is good, however, although it is totally impossible for man to keep. Keeping the law is just one more incredible work of grace that Jesus did for us. He perfectly fulfilled the Law, by keeping  all Ten Commandments as the Son of man, where Adam (man) miserably failed. Jesus lived totally surrendered to His Father's will, Adam  (man) desired only his own will.  

Does this mean that we don't have to keep the law any more?  God forbid.  How then do we keep the Law? As we grow more in love with the Lord and appreciate His redemptive work  in our lives, we will find ourselves being MIRACULOUSLY changed,from glory to glory. In our inner new man, a deeper DESIRE to keep His law is being written on our hearts. Hebrew 8:8-10, speaking to believers, says" Behold the days are coming declares the Lord, when I will establish a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah, not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt'...............'I will PUT MY LAWS into their minds and WRITE them on their HEARTS and I will be their God and they shall be my people."

This is amazing and a great mystery.  God's holiness has been completely fulfilled in Jesus Christ. We can CEASE striving to perfect our own in holiness in our own strength, and by faith believe  that the good work He started, He will finish. Through our continual repentance and a grateful heart for His death and resurrection, the sinner is crucified and is raised to a newness life, free from condemnation forever.  Let's enjoy the journey together. We are heading home.

THE TEN COMMANDMENTS WRITTEN FOR CHILDREN

The following Ten Commandments were written in poetry for children many years ago to help them to memorize more easily. I pray it will bless you and any child that you might like to learn the Ten Commandments of God.

One day the world will be judged by the Ten Commandments. But the GOOD NEWS for us, who are in Jesus Christ, is that the law has already been kept on our behalf by Jesus in our place. Out of a deep heart of gratitude for what our Lord has accomplished, we do desire to keep the Law,  but realize we do not perfectly keep it every day.  By the grace of God we can repent and be changed. The Ten Commandments are like a school master to teach us right from wrong and to show us that we can't perfectly keep the Law.  We need a Savior. Children need to know this truth today and especially that Jesus fulfilled the Law for them.  It creates a deep appreciation for the finished work of Christ.

  TEN COMMANDMENTS

Have not other God but me

Before no idol bend the knee

Take not the name of God in vain

Do not the Sabbath day profane

Give both thy parents honor due

Be sure that thou no murder do

Abstain from works and deeds unclean

Steal not though thou be poor and mean

Tell no wicked lie nor love it

What is thy neighbor do not covet

  

WHO'S IN YOUR BOAT?

Have you ever got up in the morning, because the phone is ringing, or someone is pounding on your front door, because the door bell doesn't ring. Maybe you forgot your mother-in-law was coming for breakfast. You are still in your pajamas and your hair is a bedhead. Maybe the children are up early, because the phone or the door bell woke them up? Good morning world! You take a deep breath and your day has started.

After years of greeting the morning with such ordeals, I realize one thing.  It is important for me, even before I get out of bed, to first connect with my Lord.  It is not a fancy prayer or something I read, but just a "good morning Lord.  Thank you for bringing me safely through the night and I desire for to do your will today not mine. I surrender my will  to your plans today, knowing that your will is the best for me. I ask for your wisdom and understanding to work out any problems that I might face today."  It is short.  Some mornings, it is longer than others. It all depends upon what is greeting me in the morning.

I have found,  that as long as Jesus is in my 'boat',so to speak, He is there to calm the storms of that day. It is too easy to forgot that Jesus is in me and with me. The day can get very frustrating trying to accomplish my plans on my own, ignoring the presence of the Lord. Jesus said that He would never leave us nor forsake us.  He is with us all the time. When the seas of life get rough and the winds begin to fiercely blow against our sails, it is good to remember WHO IS IN MY BOAT and not keep trying to climb out.  Jesus is  NOT asleep, but waiting and watching for me to give up and call upon Him.  My job is to stay in the 'boat' and let Jesus calm the storms of life pressing in around me

If you have found yourself today standing at the helm of your boat shouting at the winds and crashing rain against your sails STOP! LOOK! AND LISTEN!.  God is speaking to you, "Be still and know that I am God".  You will be amazed how quickly the Lord will answer your need.  Psalm 91:15 "When he calls to me, I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will rescue him and honor him."  Tomorrow morning when you awake let us meet together in the throne room of our God and thank Him that He is in our boat and that He will keep it from sinking.

KEEP YOUR EYES OPEN

One of the first things that the enemy does when he attacks a nation or a people, is to close the churches.  Satan HATES churches. Every church on this earth, even a so-called "dead" one, is a sign, and symbol to him of the Living God.  He hates anything that reminds him of God because he knows his fate. He seeks to destroy the works of God every chance that he gets.

If Satan cannot use the Communists to close the churches like he has in many, many nations, then he will use other methods.  He will use the laws of taxation. 

Only the prayers are keeping the churches of our nation from being taxed now.  But the devil is causing the money-hungry men to look with eyes of greed upon the churches, the institutions which  God's people have built for His glory. Satan covets their money and would like to use them for his own cause.

Satan will also use compromising shepherds and the indifference and lukewarmness of the people to take over the churches for warehouses, etc. He would like them to just stand empty and be falling apart because of disuse.  Whether by disuse or misuse,  he seeks to destroy all churches and keep them from being houses of worship.

Our heritage as a nation is our churches.We were birthed out of a religious persecution seeking a new land to worship the ONE TRUE GOD. Now we have become a nation of many gods. We must guard our liberty and freedom and integrity. Let us not be deceived. We must be awake to the enemies intention against the church.  Satan has a plan to abolished every church  in every nation. But the GOOD NEWS is God's PLAN IS GREATER!  He is building His church with living stones, brick upon brick. The true church may be hidden from view today, but it is growing more and more powerful in every nation all of the time. The Holy Spirit is continuously  setting us apart to Christ alone.  

We do not need a building to worship, we are a temple, individually and collectively, and as we gather together, it is the Spirit of worship that draws us to our God and one another.. Wherever two or three are gathered together in His Name, the Lord is right in our midst. 

This is not a day to be asleep, wandering around in the world trying to find yourself. If we are a true born again believer, we have already been found and the Lord is setting us apart for His glory. Amazing days are ahead for those whose God is the Lord Jesus Christ.  When the days get darker and His judgement more evident, by the grace of God He will hide us in the cleft of the rock and care for His own. His care for us will be sufficient for us to reach out and supernaturally care for others in need. I have read the back of the book and we win!!!!  OUR GOD IS A GREAT GOD AND GREATLY TO BE PRAISED.

THE BEST WAY TO TRAVEL

Last night I took a journey
   to a land across the seas,
I did not go by boat or plane
   I traveled on my knees.

I saw people there deep in sin,
   Some of whom were my kin,
Jesus told me I should go
   "See how many I could win!"

I said, "but that's not possible 
    For one such as me."
He answered quickly, "Yes, you can
  Travel on your knees."

He said, "You pray. I'll meet your need.
   You call and I will hear."
So I knelt in prayer and felt at ease
   as I knew that he was near.

"Yes Lord I know I can do the job
   My desire is to please."
I will heed your call as you have asked
   And travel on my knees.

                 Based on a poem by Gladys Folden
                      Westminister, MD.