Gold is refined by heating to the point that the impurities rise to the surface
In Old Testament days, fire was used to purify
The refining process now combines heat and pressure
While being intense, this process can reach a 99.99% purity level
For a little while
If necessary
Proof of your faith
Results in praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ
You have not seen Him but you Love Him
You do not currently see Him but you believe in Him
Rejoice with joy inexpressible
Full of Glory
Outcome of your faith
Salvation of your soul
You see, every trial you go through makes you a little purer
This is the sanctification process, and it will continue until glorification
The question is, "do you believe in Him?" and "do you Love Him?"
- Oct 25, 2020Refined By Fire
Refined By Fire
Gold is refined by heating to the point that the impurities rise to the surface
In Old Testament days, fire was used to purify
The refining process now combines heat and pressure
While being intense, this process can reach a 99.99% purity level
"In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ; and though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, obtaining as the outcome of your faith the salvation of your souls."For a little while
If necessary
Proof of your faith
Results in praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ
You have not seen Him but you Love Him
You do not currently see Him but you believe in Him
Rejoice with joy inexpressible
Full of Glory
Outcome of your faith
Salvation of your soul
You see, every trial you go through makes you a little purer
This is the sanctification process, and it will continue until glorification
The question is, "do you believe in Him?" and "do you Love Him?"
- Oct 21, 2020Book Of Revelation Study 7
- Oct 11, 2020My God Will Hear Me
My God Will Hear Me
Do you ever find yourself wondering how long the darkness can continue?
Seasonal
Affective
Disorder
Darkness has a negative effect on people
We talk over and over about how bad 2020 has been
The reality is that the darkness has been creeping in for a very long time
Will the darkness ever end?
"The godly person has perished from the land, And there is no upright person among men. All of them lie in wait for bloodshed; Each of them hunts the other with a net."
This one verse seems to capture the feeling of our world today
The world is trying to make us believe that the darkness is overcoming
Anger and Hate are the normal emotions we should all embrace
Micah looked at the world around him and it was bleak
" Concerning evil, both hands do it well. The prince asks, also the judge, for a bribe, And a great man speaks the desire of his soul; So they weave it together.
The best of them is like a briar, The most upright like a thorn hedge. The day when you post your watchmen, Your punishment will come. Then their confusion will occur.
Do not trust in a neighbor; Do not have confidence in a friend. From her who lies in your bosom Guard your lips.
For son treats father contemptuously, Daughter rises up against her mother, Daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; A man's enemies are the men of his own household."
Among all the darkness, one thing remains
Hope
Micah has hope! vs 7
" But as for me, I will watch expectantly for the LORD; I will wait for the God of my salvation. My God will hear me."
I will watch EXPECTANTLY for the LORD
He isn’t making some futile effort. He knows the Lord will answer
He expects to see results. He has hope!
He waits for the God of my salvation
My God will hear me!
Do not be overwhelmed with the darkness, instead call on God
Expect to hear from Him
And wait with Hope
The Hope of Salvation
Jesus
Do you know that Hope today?
It is the only way out of the darkness.
- Oct 7, 2020Book Of Revelation Study 6
- Oct 4, 2020No Room For Hate
No Room For Hate
Have you ever looked around your house and realized you were out of space.
When that happens the first thought is, "YARD SALE!"
The first thought is, "I have to get rid of some stuff!"
Our lives are like our houses, often times we need to get rid of stuff.
Hate is something that has no business being in our life anyway.
Sometimes it is learned from others. Every time it comes from Satan. Our World today is full of hate.Look at Luke 23:32-43 NASB."Two others also, who were criminals, were being led away to be put to death with Him.When they came to the place called The Skull, there they crucified Him and the criminals, one on the right and the other on the left.
But Jesus was saying, "Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing."
And they cast lots, dividing up His garments among themselves. And the people stood by, looking on.
And even the rulers were sneering at Him, saying, "He saved others; let Him save Himself if this is the Christ of God, His Chosen One."
The soldiers also mocked Him, coming up to Him, offering Him sour wine, and saying, "If You are the King of the Jews, save Yourself!"
Now there was also an inscription above Him, "THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS."
One of the criminals who were hanged there was hurling abuse at Him, saying, "Are You not the Christ? Save Yourself and us!"
But the other answered, and rebuking him said, "Do you not even fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation?
"And we indeed are suffering justly, for we are receiving what we deserve for our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong."
And he was saying, "Jesus, remember me when You come in Your kingdom!"
And He said to him, "Truly I say to you, today you shall be with Me in Paradise.""If ever anyone seemed to have the right to hate, Jesus did.He poured out nothing but love, and he was hated for it to the point of death.
But instead of hate, Jesus simply showed more intense love.
Well, that is Jesus, and we can’t live up to that because we are flesh.
June 17th, 2015
Emmanuel AME Church massacre in Charleston SCWithin 24 hours, at the bond hearing, family members told the shooter, "I forgive you"
When asked how they could do that, they said God was with them.
Because Jesus was fully flesh, we can draw strength from His earthly life.
Hate is a cancer that eats you up from the inside.
The only way to get rid of hate is to be filled with Love.
If you are filled with hate, there is no room for love.
Are you willing to be filled with Love, God’s Love, today?
- Sep 27, 2020The Constant
The Constant
Someone once said the only constant is change
Certainly that seems to be true in our world today
A year ago who would have ever thought we would wear masks every day
The problem is that when everything keeps changing, we get tossed about
There is however one constant that we can always count on;
Jesus
Colossians 3:1-3 NASB"Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above,
where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.
Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth.
For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God."When you are on a boat getting sick, they say to focus on the shorelineIf you are trying to balance on one foot, focus on a single spot
The point is, when you want to stand firm, you have to focus on one thing…
God
This year, 2020, we have been reminded that the world around us is volatile
From Covid, to fires, to storms, to floods; it seems like everything has happened
I’ve said before that most of us just want 2021 to get here so this will be over
But, what if these crazy times don’t stop with the flip of the calendar?
"Set your mind on the things above not on the things on earth"
Phillipians 4:8 NASB"Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right,
whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute,
if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things."Don’t close your eyes and repeat there is no place like home
Open your eyes wide, and see what is happening, and dwell on the Father
The rest of this chapter tells us how to put away self and live for God
The point is, when we put away self and dwell on God, we love others
Not only do we love them, but we want to show them what we see
John 3:16-17 NASB"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son,
that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.
"For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world,
but that the world might be saved through Him."Dwell on the constant that God loves us, and because of that, we can have life
We can have an abundant life! That means, a life full of Love
Love that anchors us and drives us at the same time
Hebrews 12:1-3 NASB"Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us,let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us,
and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,
fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith,
who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame,
and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself,
so that you will not grow weary and lose heart."This world is changing quickly every day, but keep your eyes fixed on the constant
Keeping our eyes on the constant, Jesus, helps us run the race to the finish
When we run the race, others see there is Hope in this hopeless world
If you have been raised up with Christ, you can rely on the constant
What is the constant in your life?
- Sep 23, 2020Book Of Revelation Study 5
- Sep 20, 2020Through The Storm
Through The Storm
Storms can be terrifyingSome storms in life are, in nature, like hurricanes
Other storms in life happen within our lives like financial difficulties, and relationship issues
No matter which type of storms come; the fact is, they come
Most of us would be happy if these storms would just pass over us
Sometimes they do, but often, we must go through the storm
Luke 8:22-26 NASB"Now on one of those days Jesus and His disciples got into a boat,and He said to them, "Let us go over to the other side of the lake." So they launched out.
But as they were sailing along He fell asleep; and a fierce gale of wind descended on the lake,
and they began to be swamped and to be in danger.
They came to Jesus and woke Him up, saying, "Master, Master, we are perishing!"
And He got up and rebuked the wind and the surging waves, and they stopped, and it became calm.
And He said to them, "Where is your faith?"
They were fearful and amazed, saying to one another, "Who then is this, that He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey Him?"
Then they sailed to the country of the Gerasenes, which is opposite Galilee."The amazing thing about going through the storms, it is better not to be aloneEven if whoever is with you can’t do anything, it is still better
For a believer, the great thing is we are never alone!
Look at verse 22We see here that Jesus was with His disciplesBelievers sometimes get this false thought that, as long as Jesus is with them, there will be no storms
We were never promised that!
In fact in John 16:33 Jesus says, in this world you will have trouble
So, instead of thinking there will be no storm, prepare to go through them
In June, everywhere you look people are saying "Get prepared for Hurricane season"
Being prepared doesn’t stop the storms, but at least you are ready
Vs 23-24You see, as they went through the storm, they knew that Jesus could help themThey didn’t know what He would do and were astonished at what He did
They just knew they should call on Him
The point is, as we go through the Storms of life, our Father is with us
He may not calm the storm as quickly as we want, but He is with us
The second part of John 16:33 says, take heart I have overcome the world
I am always amazed at how Jesus brings us through storms
Vs 25The disciples who walked with Him in person were amazedWhere is your faith? Yes, there are going to be storms in this life.
But if you have faith, He will go through the storm with you.
After the storms, we are usually stronger than before and more faithful
Vs 26Jesus brings us through the storms to continue our mission of the GospelAre you storm ready?
Do you know the one that will take you through the storm?
- Sep 13, 2020Faith or Flesh
Faith or Flesh
"I want to be a better Christian, but I gotta get some things straight first.""I know I can do better and I’m working on that."
"I know God loves me, but I have to fix some issues before I can follow Him."
People tend to believe they can get straightened out before coming to God.Galatians 2:19-21 NASB"For through the Law I died to the Law, so that I might live to God.
"I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me;
and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.
"I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness comes through the Law, then Christ died needlessly."Through the law I died to the lawThe law, meaning the Levitical laws, show me that I am a sinner
I can not live up to the law,
no one canBut what does it mean that I died to the law?
Vs 20
I have been crucified with ChristThe life I live in flesh, I live by Faith
So, understand this, you can not get your life straight in your own strength
It is not possible in the flesh, but must be done through faithGalatians 2:21 NASB"I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness comes through the Law, then Christ died needlessly."If you could do it on your own, then Christ would not have comeGalatians 3:1-2 NASB"You foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified?This is the only thing I want to find out from you: did you receive the Spirit by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith?"Who bewitched you or who has confused you?Why do people today, who have confessed Christ, suddenly try to live through flesh?!?
Who has confused you?
Satan is the author of confusion!Vs 2
Answer one questionWas it through the law or by faith hearing that you received the Spirit?
In other words
Was it by flesh or Faith?Vs. 3
Are you a fool?!?Having begun by the Spirit are you now being perfected by the flesh?!?
The foolish part is we gave ourselves to Christ because the flesh was not able
Did the flesh suddenly become able?
Believers, return to the one who saved you in the first place!Galatians 3:4-5 NASB"Did you suffer so many things in vain--if indeed it was in vain?So then, does He who provides you with the Spirit and works miracles among you, do it by the works of the Law,
or by hearing with faith?"How does Jesus do it - flesh or faith?Galatians 3:6 NASB"Even so Abraham BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS RECKONED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS."Faith becomes righteousnessHave you ever lived by faith?
- Sep 9, 2020Book Of Revelation Study 4
- Sep 6, 2020Labor Of Love
Labor Of Love
Labor DayThe first celebrations of Labor day were municipal ordinances in 1885
Oregon was the first State to make it law in 1887
U.S. Congress passed the Labor Day act on June 28, 1894
Labor day celebrates the social and economic achievements of workers
We are designed to be workers not place holders
Too many Christians today have forgotten the old Hymn “We’ll Work Til Jesus Comes”
John 9:4 NASB
"We must work the works of Him who sent Me as long as it is day;
night is coming when no one can work."
This is a Labor of Love
"And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world,
according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience.
Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind,
and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest.
But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions,
made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),
and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,
so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.
For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God;
not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.
For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works,
which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them." Ephesians 2:1-10 NASB
First of all, let us understand that we were all once sinners
Verses 1-3
Today, as you sit here or watch on Facebook, you are either dead in sin, or you were
But GOD
Verses 4-6
Because of HIS great LOVE
By GRACE you have been saved or can be saved
Vs. 7
He saved us to show us His grace and kindness over and over again
Are you wrapping your head around this?
Jesus performed a Labor of Love by dying on the Cross to save YOU!
Verses 8-9
Salvation doesn’t come from you or your works it is grace given not earned
I want you to pay close attention to verse 10
"We are His workmanship" meaning He created us, not by chance
We’re not an accident that crawled out of an explosion, we are designed by God
We are designed for "Good Works" which he has already prepared
This Labor of Love means that as Christians, we are designed to work for Him
I am convinced the decline of the church is largely attributed to not WORKING for Him
On this Labor Day weekend, will you decide to "Work 'Til Jesus Comes"
Right now in our world, so many people feel hopeless; and we can show them the Hope
It is time to get back to work for Him!
Do you know who I’m talking about?
- Sep 2, 2020Book Of Revelation Study 3
- Aug 30, 2020Life Is Short, Eat Dessert First
Life Is Short, Eat Dessert First
In honor of my Amazing friend;
Katherine EllisSolomon tells us life is a vapor, dust in the wind, vanity
In other words it goes by very quickly
With the time we have, we need to live life to the fullest
Ecclesiastes 11:1-10 NASB
"Cast your bread on the surface of the waters, for you will find it after many days.Divide your portion to seven, or even to eight, for you do not know what misfortune may occur on the earth.
If the clouds are full, they pour out rain upon the earth;
and whether a tree falls toward the south or toward the north, wherever the tree falls, there it lies.
He who watches the wind will not sow and he who looks at the clouds will not reap.
Just as you do not know the path of the wind and how bones are formed in the womb of the pregnant woman,
so you do not know the activity of God who makes all things.
Sow your seed in the morning and do not be idle in the evening,
for you do not know whether morning or evening sowing will succeed,
or whether both of them alike will be good.
The light is pleasant, and it is good for the eyes to see the sun.
Indeed, if a man should live many years, let him rejoice in them all,
and let him remember the days of darkness, for they will be many.
Everything that is to come will be futility.
Rejoice, young man, during your childhood, and let your heart be pleasant during the days of young manhood.
And follow the impulses of your heart and the desires of your eyes. Yet know that God will bring you to judgment for all these things.
So, remove grief and anger from your heart and put away pain from your body, because childhood and the prime of life are fleeting."YOLO!
You Only Live OnceSome use this as a call to reckless abandonment
Instead, think of it as; make the most of the life you were given
Live by Faith
Vs 1-2Be Generous:
"Cast your bread upon the water"Not a little generous, but a lot generous
"Make your portion seven or even eight"
Live Life
Vs 3-6Don’t let stuff stop your living
Inevitables
Uncertainties
Mysteries
When it gets hard, double up
Enjoy Life
Vs 7-8Savor the little things as well as the big
Rejoice in ALL our days!
All means ……Vs 9-10
Be wise, as we will all give account for our choices
Remove grief and anger and put away pain
John 10:10
This is Jesus speaking"The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly."
Are you ready to have dessert by living life to the fullest?
That can only happen if you give your life to Christ
- Aug 26, 2020Book Of Revelation Study 2
- Aug 23, 2020Walk Worthy
Walk Worthy
Do you really understand that this life is temporary?
We are all given a finite amount of time here in this world
What you do with this short time is what really matters
Look with me to
Colossians 1:9-12"For this reason also, since the day we heard of it, we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding,so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God;
strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for the attaining of all steadfastness and patience;
joyously giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in Light." Col. 1:9-12 NASBThis passage begins with "for this reason", which is similar to "therefore"For what reason:
Look at vs 4"since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and the love which you have for all the saints;"Basically, since we heard that you had become a ChristianWe have not ceased praying for you
Doesn’t that seem odd, that upon hearing good news Paul says "we are praying"?
They were praying for Spiritual wisdom for new believers
Once you become a believer, how you live matters even more"so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God;" Col. 1:10 NASB"Walk worthy of the Lord". All you do now reflects on your Father, GodLost people act any old way and we expect that because they are lost
Believers need to walk worthy of the Lord for many reasons:
To please Him
To bear fruit in every good work
To increase in the knowledge of God"strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for the attaining of all steadfastness and patience;joyously giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in Light." Col. 1:11-12 NASBThe Father has qualified us to share the inheritance of the Saints in lightWalk worthy. We are responsible to honor Him"For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son,in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins." Col.1:13-14For He rescued us!Without His rescue we would not have hope
This reason alone is enough to walk worthy of Him"He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities
all things have been created through Him and for Him.
He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. He is also head of the body, the church;
and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything." Col. 1:15-18 NASBWhen we realize all the things that Jesus is, how incredible!The firstborn of all creation
In Him ALL things hold together
He is the head of the body, which is the church
He is the firstborn from the dead!
Without this we would not be resurrected from the dead.
How do we truly walk worthy?
He will come to have first place in EVERYTHING.
Have you given Him first place in EVERYTHING?
- Aug 16, 2020Gray Skies & Sunshine
Gray Skies & Sunshine
Psalm 86:1-13With everything going on in our world it is easy to feel graySome people think that simply because you are a Christian you never get down
The passage that we read today was written by David, a man after God’s own heart
In the beginning of this passage we see heartache
"I am afflicted and needy"
Christians are not incapable of being afflicted and needy
The skies get gray over our homes too
So, as a believer, how do we properly handle the gray skies?
We look for the Sonshine!
When that sun comes out after a storm, it is always glorious
But, we need to remember that it was there during the storm also
Vs 4 shows us exactly what we need to do when we feel afflictedLift it all up to God. He is there in the storm and out of the stormThis Psalm begins with affliction but moves into huge praise and joy
Nowhere in this passage did we see God say let me take all the affliction away
Look at verse 5 and following; the affliction begins to turnSee, in the midst of the gray skies, David sees the Sonshine!Instead of dwelling on the afflictions, he begins to praise God and is filled with Joy
For us, right now in our world today, the best answer is to praise Him
There may be dark clouds all around us, but when we praise, we are filled with Joy
There is only one catch; In order to praise Him, you have to know Him
This very same Daivd committed some very terrible acts, but God gave him grace
No matter how gray the skies are, the Son is always shinning!
- Aug 12, 2020Book Of Revelation Study 1
- Aug 9, 2020The Battle
The Battle
Romans 6:1-11 NASB"What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase?
May it never be! How shall we who died to sin still live in it?
Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death?
Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death,
so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father,
so we too might walk in newness of life.
For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death,
certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection,
knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him,
in order that our body of sin might be done away with,
so that we would no longer be slaves to sin;
for he who has died is freed from sin.
Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him,
knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, is never to die again;
death no longer is master over Him.
For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all;
but the life that He lives, He lives to God.
Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus."
- Aug 2, 2020I Am Your God – Fear Sermon Series
I Am Your God – Fear Sermon Series
What keeps you from being afraid?
What do you hold close that causes fear to flee?
Children may have a blanket or a stuffed animal;
Perhaps it is a person that makes you feel safe.
Look at
Isaiah 41:8-10"But you, Israel, My servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, Descendant of Abraham My friend,You whom I have taken from the ends of the earth,
And called from its remotest parts And said to you,`You are My servant, I have chosen you and not rejected you.
`Do not fear, for I am with you; Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you,
surely I will help you, Surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.'In verse 8 God is talking to Israel
He calls them His servant, His chosen,
Descendant of Abraham, My friend
That’s awesome for Israel
Ephesians 3:6to be specific, that the Gentiles are fellow heirs and fellow members of the body,
and fellow partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel,So that means that you too are all those thingsIf you have given your life to Christ
We become one with God’s chosen people
I told you last week that God was the author of Peace
Peace comes from knowing that, to God, we are His friend
Look at verse 9You whom I have taken from the ends of the earth, And called from its remotest parts,
And said to you, `You are My servant, I have chosen you and not rejected you.God has already seen you through so much
He literally takes us to the ends of the earth and back
Most importantly He has chosen you
Did you get that?!? God has chosen you, Christian!
So, what does He do for the ones He chooses?`Do not fear, for I am with you; Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, Surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.'I AM
I love scriptures that begin with "I AM"
The name of God given to Moses
I AM that I AM
I AM with you
I AM your God
I will strengthen you
I will help you
I will uphold you
With My Righteous right hand
I AM says you are literally in His hand
Do not fear!
I AM your GodIs He your God today?
- Jul 29, 2020Book Of Daniel Study 14
