NO NEED TO WORRY

When we worry, we are saying God can’t handle our problems.

Philippians 4:6, Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.

We all have problems. Some big, some small. I cannot determine the extent of how big or small your problems are. We just need to understand that no matter the size, God says to cast all of our care upon Him! That way we don’t go about worrying about them to the extent that we are sinning. Yes, I said that and it’s true! When we don’t trust God with our problems, we may as well be saying, “God, you can’t do anything about my problems.”

The truth of the matter is, we have no need to worry because God is bigger than all of our problems! Trust Him this morning friend! He can save you! He can support you! He can deliver you out of the deepest, darkest valley you may be in!

DOING GOOD IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD

The most acceptable service of God is doing good to man. --Benjamin Franklin

Galatians 6:10, As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.

There is nothing within man that is good. But, with His imputed righteousness, we are able to do good through Him. He equips us to do good. He makes it possible to accomplish anything He desires for us to do.

When is the last time you sought out to do something for the Lord? When is the last time you prayed asking the Lord to give you an opportunity to serve Him? Has it been a long time since you were found doing good in the neighborhood? Maybe it’s time to get busy for the Lord!

ASTRONOMICAL GRACE

This law tells me how crooked I am.  Grace comes along and straightens me out. -D.L. Moody

1 Corinthians 1:4, I thank my God always on your behalf, for the grace of God which is given you by Jesus Christ;

Isn’t the Grace of God something amazing! The Lord delivers it by the truck load every time we need it. Grace for trials. Grace for tribulations. Grace for temptations. Grace for triumphs. Grace for the end. No matter what season of life we are in, God gives grace.

Hey friend, have you tasted of the grace of God this morning? It’s astronomical! Look to Jesus and find out what His grace can do for you!

PROMISE OF LIFE

There is the promise of life through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

1 Peter 1:3-5, Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

What a promise we have in the resurrection of Jesus! His Word says, it’s a lively hope! It’s an inheritance that is incorruptible, undefiled, and that fadeth not away! And look a little closer; it’s reserved in Heaven for you! Hallelujah!

Are you saved friend? If you are, what a blessing God has given you!

If you’re not, you can be! Ask me how!

CREATOR, REDEEMER

The same One who spoke creation into existence is the same One who calls man unto salvation.

Proverbs 22:2, The rich and poor meet together: the LORD is the maker of them all.

When we do take our last breath, we will all stand before God and give an account of what we did with the Gospel. Did we believe it? did we Repent of our sins and get baptized? Or did we reject the Truth, living our life our way while hoping it’s all a fairy tale out of some novel.

Hey friend, the same One Who spoke into existence the sun, moon, and stars is the same One who can give you a brand new life! He can cleanse your heart and make it brand new! Your sins will be forgiven, forgotten, and remembered no more because the Creator, who is also the Redeemer, has set you free!

MAKE A DIFFERENCE

The difference between listening to a radio sermon and going to church, someone has said, is almost like the difference between calling your girl on the telephone and spending an evening with her. -Moody

Psalm 107:32, Let them exalt him also in the congregation of the people, and praise him in the assembly of the elders.

You want to see a difference in your family—GO TO CHURCH. You want to see a difference in your life—GO TO CHURCH. You want to see a difference in your children—TAKE THEM TO CHURCH. Going to church will not save you but what it will do is expose you to the Word of God and that is what God uses to make a difference in your life.

Do you desire to make a difference this morning? If you do, GET UP, GET READY, and GO TO CHURCH!

MEDITATE ON JESUS

The most important thought I ever had was that of my individual responsibility toward God.

-Webster

2 Timothy 2:15, Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

Get a nugget of Truth and let it grow into a meal that you can chew on the rest of your life, friend. There is so much in the Word of God to choose from that you will never exhaust the topics found therein. When you pick one topic, it always leads to several other topics that you want to check into. It’s not long before you have a collection of thoughts to trace down and meditate on.

Are you studying the Word? Do you have a system of study? Do you do your devotions each morning? Friend, you will never grow like you need to until you have a daily infusion of God’s Word to help you get through the day. Start today by meditating on what Jesus has done for you.

DIE FOR JESUS

When we read, we fancy we could be martyrs; when we come to act, we cannot bear a provoking word. -More

Acts 15:25-26, It seemed good unto us, being assembled with one accord, to send chosen men unto you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, Men that have hazarded their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Many people claim to be Christians. They go to church, dress the part, say the right things, and can probably even quote Scripture. They may be a Sunday school teacher, a Deacon, a song leader, pianist, or even a pastor. However, when the rubber meets the road and they have to choose between rejecting Christ or becoming a martyr, they choose to reject Him, making up excuses why they did.

Hey friend, if you won’t come to church for Jesus. If you won’t read His Word. If you won’t tell someone else about what Jesus has done for you, what makes you think you’re saved and you will die for Jesus? Want to prove your love for Him? Want to prove you’re saved and on your way to Heaven? start by telling others about what Jesus means to you. Tell them what He has done for you. It gets real when you start doing what He has said to do! You may even have to die for Jesus! are you ready and willing?

CHOOSE RIGHT

It is a wicked thing to be neutral between right and wrong. --Theodore Roosevelt

James 1:5-6, If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.

Some people are so wishy-washy they can’t make up their minds about anything. One day they are living for God, the next you couldn’t tell them from the heathen on the street. You can’t help but question their salvation by being a fruit inspector. You look to their works hoping to see some spiritual growth in their lives and just when you think they have caught on, bam they are back doing the same things they were before they made a profession of faith. It’s pretty discouraging when you invest so much time and effort into someone and then see them go back to the mud slops of this world when all they had to do was choose right.

Are you on that fence this morning? Are you about to fall off the other side? Stop! Choose right before you make a mistake that could cost you your testimony, your marriage, your ministry, or your children.

LIVE HOLY

Those are no friends of Christ and his disciples, who make that to be unlawful which God has not made to be so. -Henry

Galatians 5:1, Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.

Many today want to get right on the edge of sin. They want to change the meaning of what sin is and “reclassify” it. Why, because they don’t want to live a holy life.

Friend, God has not changed and neither has what He calls sin. Sin is sin. There are no small sins and there aren’t any big sins. Sin… is just sin. Scripture tells us if you break the law in one point, you have broken it in all points. Telling a lie is the same as murder in God’s eyes.

Paul knew the danger of sin. He knew the dangers of riding the fence. Paul knew to live for Christ was to die to self. Under the inspiration of God, Paul preached to live a holy life.

Are you living on the edge of sin? Have you pitched your tent toward Sodom; desiring the things of this world? RUN from those things, friend, before it’s too late! Live a holy life that is pleasing to the Lord!

‘TIS WRITTEN THERE

Is your name in the Book of Life?

Revelation 21:27, And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life.

Throughout Scripture, there is reference to the Book of Life. It is a literal book with the names of those that are going to be in Heaven. Those names are precious to God. Those names represent God’s Son’s work here on earth. Those names represent His honor and glory. Those names represent what He accomplished on Calvary. That Book will be opened one day and if your name isn’t there; you’re not going in. As a matter of fact, you will be cast into hell.

is your name written there? Or will you be going on a different journey? One of eternal death? I pray your name is written there! If not, won’t you consider accepting Christ as your saviour today?

DON’T LEND IT, IF YOU CAN’T DO WITHOUT IT

A bank is a place that will lend you money if you can prove you don’t need it—Bob Hope

Psalm 112:5, A good man sheweth favour, and lendeth: he will guide his affairs with discretion.

There have been times in everyone’s life when they could use a little help financially. Whether when you first got married, lost a job, or maybe when that first child was born. A few extra funds came in handy and helped get you through the dry spell. I know there have been times in my life when we had to get a loan from the bank or from family. I have even had the privilege to pay it forward to some of my family and friends. I have had to loan a few dollars to help get them to the next pay check. An unexpected doctor’s bill, a birthday party, or a flat tire will sneak up on you every now and then. You may have to have a little help getting over the hump.

There has been one thing I have learned since I was able to loan a few dollars out; Don’t loan anything that you can’t afford to do without. Many times, when you loan it out, it will never come back! You’ll be better off to just give them the money, never seeking repayment, than to lose a friend over a few dollars.

THE END

What will you leave behind to be remembered by?

Psalm 16:6, The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places; yea, I have a goodly heritage.

Mel Blanc has been said to have been a man of a thousand voices. One of his most famous was the famed Bugs Bunny. His favorite line was engraved on his tombstone, “That’s All Folks!”

I was thinking about some friends of mine that have passed away in the past few years. I was thinking, what do I remember about them most. What sticks out to me above all other things? Then my mind shifted, What will my “legacy” be? Will it be a quote; “It’s all good! Or “Fine, You?” What will those that knew me, think about me when I am gone?

Friend, make no mistake about it, I want you to know nothing about me. I want you to know about my Saviour! I want you to know about Jesus Christ! I want you to know that He gave His life on Calvary so that you would not have to go to Hell. I want you to know that He died so you don’t have to. I want you to know that He paid your sin debt because you couldn’t! Do you know Him? Have you trusted Him as your Saviour?

In the end, that’s all that matters! So, GET UP, GET READY, and go to church!

ENVY KILLS FROM THE INSIDE OUT

As a moth gnaws a garment, so doth envy consume a man.

Psalm 37:1, Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity.

This world is all about some material wealth. Commercials on television, ads in magazines and on radios paint a pretty picture about every product under the sun. It creates a desire in the human mind that the merchandise the company is selling cannot be lived without. To top it off, credit card companies saturate our mailboxes with offer after offer to obtain more credit. Before you know it, you and I are slaves to those companies. Drowning in credit card debt that most likely will never be paid off. Oh, that’s okay, you can refinance your house, consolidate your debt and before you know it, you’re debt free… or so, they would like for you to believe. But most of us just go right back and play the same game over and over and over until… we are dead! Hey reader, before you take out that loan, get that credit card, or buy that car, try to be content with the things God has given you. Wait for Him to open the door before you go get anything else. If you don’t, the envy will kill you from the inside out!

EXERCISE

The pain you feel today will be the success you feel tomorrow.

1 Timothy 4:7-8, But refuse profane and old wives' fables, and exercise thyself rather unto godliness. For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come.

I have never been one to work out at the gym. I use to visit a gym but I never got into the pumping iron and all. I never saw it as being something that I could be “good” at so I didn’t continue to do it. That is probably one of the reasons why I’m out of shape and overweight. But you know what, I’d rather be overweight and out of shape physically than spiritually anemic. I would hate to know, when it comes to the things of God, I had left the foundations of our faith becoming anemic to God’s Word, work, and way.

To overcome becoming anemic, one must exercise their minds in the thing that matters most- The Word of God.   

WIPE TEARS AWAY

Tears reveal what lips can never do.

Psalm 126:5, They that sow in tears shall reap in joy.

I once told a friend, “Don’t ever apologize for your tears; your tears reveal something about your heart that nothing else can reveal.” Friend, God gave us tears to inform the rest of the world how much we care about what we are talking about. Sure, some can fake a tear in a minute, but those fake tears are soon discovered while the real tear mean something to those who see them.

Friend, when is the last time you wept over a lost soul? When is the last time you had to change the pillow case because it was dripping from a night of sobbing? When is the last time God wiped away the tears and return the joy of your salvation? He is an expert at wiping tears away! He said in Psalm 30:5, “For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.”

GET TO IT

If not you, who? If not now, when?

Isaiah 6:8, Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me.

There is a massive amount of people to reach and a little space of time to reach them. Have you ever thought about what you are doing for missions? Missions is the mission of the church. That is one of the primary goals of every New Testament church. How do you fit into that?

Are you supporting those who go? Are you praying and giving to them? Are you actively seeking new ways to get the Gospel out? Maybe, God has been working on your heart to surrender to the mission field. Don’t settle for Satan’s seconds, missing God’s will for your life! It will be the best for you, your family, and those who you minister to!

IT’LL BE WORTH IT

Finishing well will be worth it when we see Christ.

Ephesians 4:1-3, I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

Imagine with me for a moment, when we take our last breath and awaken in Heaven. None of us will be there and think, “Awe man, it wasn’t worth it.” NO SIR! We will be shouting the victory when we step through those pearly gates to be with our Saviour forever! We will be rejoicing in the reunions of friends and family that have gone on before! We will be looking at the splendor of God’s dwelling place and out of the mouth of a departed friend we will be singing and shouting, “MY, MY, MY!

Hey, friend, no matter what you’re going through today. No matter how deep the valley. No matter how lonely the road is… It’ll be worth it all when we get up there!

WHO ARE YOU REPRESENTING?

Your actions will show who you work for.

2 Corinthians 5:20, Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God.

We were in Bojangles yesterday with some friends after the evening service and the manager had a nice uniform on. He had a head piece in to run the drive-through if needed. He had a name tag that identified him as the manager. But none of that really show me that he was the manager. What showed me that he was the manager (and a good one) was that; he was very professional. He talked with his staff with respect. He treated the customers as investors in his company. He was different than the other staff members.

Hey friend, if you’re a child of God, you’re one of His ambassadors. You are working for someone and something greater than anything on this earth! You are working for the King of kings and Lord of lords. You are representing him no matter where you go. At work- yep, an ambassador! At school- yep, an ambassador! At the grocery store- yep, an ambassador! In the gym- yep, an ambassador! At the beach- yep, an ambassador! In the mountains- yep, an ambassador!

JULY 4TH

Freedom comes at an expense.

Proverbs 14:34, Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people.

I am reminded on this July 4th, of the men and women who have given their lives so that we can be free. Thousands of heroes and heroines have sacrificed their lives so that America can remain free. I am thankful for the free country I live in. I am thankful for those who have made it possible.

What would all this freedom be if we were not free in Christ though? I’m not so sure we truly understand freedom until we understand the freedom from sin we received when we believed and trusted in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour.

Hey friend, freedom comes at an expense. Thankful for us, many have given their lives for that freedom. Even more so, freedom from sin has been made possible to anyone who believes by God’s only begotten Son—Jesus. Have you repented of your sins and trusted Him as Saviour? If not, why don’t you do that right now and it will be the best July 4th you have ever had!