Love Is The Answer
Category: Evangelism
A Father’s Message to His Children and all who will listen
Salvation Is Of God Alone
Christians are not free from Suffering
Christians Are Not Free From Suffering
The Christian Life Is Not Free From Suffering
In this day which we live we are always looking for a better way of life. Rightly so, there is always something going on. That makes life very difficult to live. Un fair taxes, low paying jobs, high rent, not being able to adequately provide for our families. Criminal activity, dishonest government officials, systemic racism, sexism, unfair justice system and the like. So, we look for someone perhaps a politician who promise us prosperity, good health, easy living, good jobs, nice homes. I am saying this because people have been looking for a someone, a politician that is going to come and make everything right, no more suffering, no more being impoverished. The problem is He did come, and He was not a politician. when it was time for Him to depart from this Earth, “He said” In the world you shall have tribulations. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33b)
Prayer:
18“If the world hates you, remember that it hated me first. 19If you belonged to the world, then it would love you as it loves its own. But I have chosen you out of the world. So, you don’t belong to it. That is why the world hates you. 20Remember what I told you: A servant is not greater than his master. If people did wrong to me, they would do wrong to you, too. And if they obeyed my teaching, they would obey yours, too. 21They will do all this to you because of me. They do not know the One who sent me. 22If I had not come and spoken to them; they would not be guilty of sin. But now they have no excuse for their sin. 23He who hates me also hates my Father. 24I did works among them that no one else has ever done. If I had not done those works, they would not be guilty of sin. But now they have seen what I did, and yet they have hated both me and my Father. 25But this happened so that what is written in their law would be true: ‘They hated me for no reason.’£
26“I will send you the Helper£ from the Father. He is the Spirit of truth who comes from the Father. When he comes, he will talk about me. 27And you also must tell people about me because you have been with me from the beginning (John 15:18-27).
Suffering is Inescapable in the life of a believer.
This suffering is not going to be conditional. It is not going to be based on certain conditions to be met or made to determine whether you are going to suffer. The Lord did not say if you do not live totally in the presence of God or if you disobey any of God’s commandments, you will have tribulation. It is not a matter of if, it is a matter of when.
A Christian will experience tribulations. Your whole life will not be full of tribulation, but there will be times that are inevitable occasions of tribulation. You are able to control circumstances in your life but you will not be able to control all of them. There is tribulation that is a direct result of disobedience of both the physical and spiritual laws.
These things I have spoken to you.
Twice Jesus said, once in John 16:1 and once in John 16:33 “these things I have spoken to you. So that you will not fall away, and so you will have peace. 18“If the world hates you, remember that it hated me first. 19If you belonged to the world, then it would love you as it loves its own. But I have chosen you out of the world. So, you don’t belong to it. That is why the world hates you. Do not fool yourself. Do not waste your time trying to get the world to love you. Do not try to please the world. You know that the world is enmity to God. The way of the world leads to destruction and you know this. After the world gets through with you it will chew you up and spit you out. The world hates you.
The world persecuted Jesus
20Remember what I told you: A servant is not greater than his master. If people did wrong to me, they will do wrong to you, too. And if they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours, too. To be hated and persecuted is not pleasant. The only way to have averted that would have been for Jesus to impose His salvation upon all, but salvation is for whosoever believe.
21They will do all this to you because of me. They do not know the One who sent me. 22If I had not come and spoken to them; they would not be guilty of sin. But now they have no excuse for their sin. 23He who hates me also hates my Father. 24I did works among them that no one else has ever done. If I had not done those works, they would not be guilty of sin. But now they have seen what I did, and yet they have hated both me and my Father. 25But this happened so that what is written in their law would be true: ‘They hated me for no reason.’£
God did not charge those with sin who sinned before the law was given. With out the law there can be know sin. But once the law was given and you disobey the law you commit sin. Once Christ has spoken to them, they are responsible for their what they here. Same thing once they have seen the evidence through Christ works , they are responsible to respond appropriately. Instead they respond with hate. This is a fulfillment of prophecy, they hated me for no reason.
The day will come when the world will no longer be allowed to persecute Christians, When God will impose His Kingdom. Then the end will come. Christ will destroy all rulers, authorities, and powers. And he will give the kingdom to God the Father. Christ must rule until God puts all enemies under Christ’s control. The last enemy to be destroyed will be death. The Scripture says, “God put all things under his control.”£ When it says that “all things” are put under him, this does not include God himself. God is the one putting everything under Christ’s control. After everything has been put under Christ, then the Son himself will be put under God. God is the One who put all things under Christ. And Christ will be put under God, so that God will be the complete ruler over everything. (1 Cor 15:24-28).
For those who choose to stay without the kingdom shall fight those who have elected to believe and receive Jesus as savior and Lord. While in this body there is no escape from death and bodily deterioration that leads to it. This body that will ruin must clothe itself with something that will never ruin. And this body that dies must clothe itself with something that will never die. So this body that ruins will clothe itself with that which never ruins. And this body that dies will clothe itself with that which never dies. When this happens, then this Scripture will be made true:1Cor 15:53,54).
“Death is destroyed forever in victory.”
“Death, where is your victory?
Death, where is your power to hurt?”
Tribulation and Physical Deterioration Are Part of God’s plan for this Age.
The Implication of what God is saying to us is, It should not take you by surprise. Do not be offended by the tribulation. Therefore, I am telling you this. You will have tribulation. Do not be surprised as if you didn’t know. It may not make sense to you but that is part of God’s wisdom. His Omnipotence is regulated by His Omniscience. God’s power is regulated by His wisdom.
Suffering sickness, persecution. And death you are incapable of understanding and because of that, Jesus is unable to explain it to you. The easiest thing for you to do is be offended when suffering and tribulation overtake you. But Christ knows what He is doing, and He told you to expect it. Sin is the trigger in the trap on which, when it is touched by the animal, causes it to close. Be prepared. Do not let suffering take you by surprise, making you doubt God’s benevolent providence26“I will send you the Helper£ from the Father. He is the Spirit of truth who comes from the Father. When he comes, he will tell about me. 27And you also must tell people about me because you have been with me from the beginning (John 15:18-27).
Christ Gives inner peace. Which no favorable circumstance can yield. Jesus Said peace I leave you, my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives, do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid (John 14:27). With His peace within you can face suffering, with His peace you can face sickness, with His peace you can face death, or any circumstance you find yourself under. Get from under there. What are you doing under there? You have no business under there. Jesus is coming back. We must be ready when he gets here. It is going to be a wonderful day. A Glorious day like non ever before.
31“The Son of Man will come again in his great glory. All his angels will come with him. He will be King and sit on his great throne. 32All the people of the world will be gathered before him. Then he will separate them into two groups as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33The Son of Man will put the sheep, the good people, on his right and the goats, the bad people, on his left.
34“Then the King will say to the good people on his right, ‘Come. My Father has given you his blessing. Come and receive the kingdom God has prepared for you since the world was made (Matt 25:31-34).
God so loved the world that He gave his only begotten Son, that who ever believe on Him shall have ever lasting life (John 3:16). Do you believe? Amen. The choice is Yours.
Daily Devotion
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December 17, 2020
“… I say to you, he who believes in Me, … greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father” (John 14:12).
Prayer does not equip us for greater works—prayer is the greater work.
Treasures in Heaven
Can I get a Witness? 07/19/2020
Greetings my friends, grace, and peace to you in the name of God our father the Son, and the Holy Spirit. I thank God for you and for your families. I hope that everything is good with you and that God is keeping you safe. God loves you and cares for you. Because God loves us and cares about us, in all that we do, we should do in the name of the Lord. Whatever circumstance that causes us to make a decision, we should ask ourselves will the lord be offended or pleased by what I do? What is the effect will the decision I make have on others? The way that I conduct myself will others see me as a Christian? Who am I? Do I represent God in the way that I walk, or live my life? Does my life reflect the fact that I am a servant of God? Who does God say you are?
https://testflight.apple.com/join/om8voNVmLord God, I thank you for this opportunity to share your word with your people. I thank you, Lord, for each one of these your people with whom I am also one. I ask that you open their heart and mind as I share your word with them. I ask that you lead and guide me, fill me with your Holy Spirit lead and guide me that I may say that which you will have me to say. Thank You, Lord God, In Jesus’ name Amen.
Jesus Said, ” you are the salt of the earth, but if the salt loses its saltiness how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot (Matt 5:13). Salt, what is it? One thing it’s not is an antiseptic, an antiseptic is something used to combat poison, and tends to its cure. Septic is something that is devoid of poison in itself. Salt does not cure corruption or decay. Salt prevents the spread of decay or corruption. If meat is tainted and corrupt salt will arrest the decay, and prevent it from further corruption to the part that has not yet been corrupted.
The Lord expects His own to function as a moral and spiritual influence preventing the spread of sin’s corrupt forces, Living near Him, the source of untainted Holiness, we are to give goodness its opportunity. Although salt is beneficial, salt can lose its pungent power, its tang. Once the pungent power goes the salt is good for nothing. Saints can never lose their soul, Amen!!! But they can lose their savior, the pungent power. You can become unsavory in life and exhibit decay in the grace God has given you. Your savory influence will be lost in an unsavory world. Christians who put up with corruption around them add to the corruption of humanity.
You are the light of the world, a city built on a hill can not be hidden, neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bed, instead they put it on a lampstand and give light to everyone in the house. In the same, way let your light shine before others so that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in Heaven (Matt 5:14-16). Light is of a threefold nature, natural, artificial, and spiritual. The light of the sun is natural, that of a lamp is artificial, and that of the Lord and those who believe Him it is spiritual. Christ uses the word luminaries to describe His own light. Christ gave us the same identification he appropriated for His self. I am the light of the world, whoever follows me will never walk in darkness. but will have the light of life. His light is not a borrowed light, nor is it artificial light, or reflected light. His light is uncreated light. Not only does He give light, He is light, Amen!!! In Him, there is no darkness at all.
The moon is a luminaire, it has no light of its own. The light of the moon is gotten from the sun and reflected on the world. As luminaires, we have no light of our own. As His disciples, we can only shine with His light. No man lights a lamp and puts it under a bushel if he does either the bushel will put the light out or the light will set the bushel on fire. The bushel represents commerce business and trade. the bed used in this parable represents leisure, rest, and comfort. We must be careful not to spend to much time and thought to either. Spending to much time attending to business and leisure will cause our light to go dim. It will cause our salt to lose its pungency and our witness would be worthless, or unproductive. There is no contradiction between light and salt, both refer to the moral quality of things. The world is corrupt and its iniquity needs the saints as salt, the world is blind and dark and its ignorance requires the saints as lights.
A lamp or candle is dark bodies and can give no light until it is lighted, just the same we can give no light until we have received divine grace from the Spirit of God. Once you have received it, Let your light shine Amen!!! Let your light shine so that the world with its variegated surfaces can feel the fructifying and gladdening radiance, let your light shine, a light-reflecting in good deeds resulting in the Glory of God.
If you don’t know Jesus I can tell you this, He knows you, and He loves you. He wants you to have His light shine in your life. Jesus said” God so love the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but shall have everlasting life (ohn 3:16). If you believe this Pray to God, tell him that you believe that Jesus died for your sin, and you believe that God raised Him from the dead and He is alive right now at the Father’s right hand. If you pray this prayer you shall get saved Amen!! Thank you, Lord, God bless you, my friends.
Chaplain Rev. Reginald Stevens pastor.
The Key To Life
Greetings Brothers, Sisters, and friends, grace and peace to you in the name of God our Father, and The Lord Jesus Christ. I thank God for you. I pray that everything is Good for you considering that the enemy has launched a devastating assault against God’s people. The enemy doesn’t even care if He kills vast numbers of his own followers as long as he can destroy the lives of God’s people. This is where his understanding breaks down, It is apparent that he doesn’t know that nothing absolutely nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus, Amen. Lord thank you for giving me this opportunity to share your word concerning the gift of life and the key thereof. Please help me to use the right words so that I may say what you want me to say, and that you help everyone who hears and read this message understand, Thank You, Father, in Jesus name I pray, Amen.
My friends Our Lord Jesus while on His mission to provide salvation to the world was constantly surrounded by controversy. The religious leaders of that day represented God to the people. This position in the eyes of the people was one of privilege, authority, admiration, and respect. In other words, this was a position of power over the hearts and minds of God’s people, until the coming of the Messiah who would sit on the throne of David. These people thought themselves to be special, and in fact, they were. They were Gods’ chosen people. The promised Messiah was announced centuries in advance and his identity was unknown until Jesus’s ministry began They could not see, nor did they try to see. the light had come into the world and it was like their eyes couldn’t take the light so they preferred darkness. Unless the Messiah burst on the scene with chariots and armies of angels they were not going to accept Him regardless of his being the embodiment of truth and grace and life.
So there are three controversies that came into play that was quite revealing in several ways. There was the controversy form His
1. family: Jesus brothers knew that He had the gift of healing and that he attracted people everywhere He went. They wanted Him to use His gifts in a spectacular way before all the people at the first of the Passover. Maybe they thought to cash in on His claimed Messiahship. they were not really concerned as they pretended to be, they didn’t have discernment about his mission. Jesus gave his brothers a lesson on time, and it was related to the fact that people didn’t hate them, because they were just like them, they are one of them, but they hated Jesus because He reminds the world of its evil. Jesus said It is not my time to make such an appearance that will trigger being put to death before the time allotted by His Father. It was not part of His Fathers’ plan.
2. Crowd. The crowd just couldn’t get a good fix on identifying Jesus. They entertained all types of opinions about Him. Some thought of him as a good man, some thought of Him as a deceiver, some as the deliverer, some as a prophet, some as demon-possessed, and some as the Christ, some even thought that he as an entertainer such as a circus act. hey questioned His credentials and His origin. The crowd wanted to know how it is that Jesus had such knowledge without attending school? Jesus explained to them that His teaching came from God. If you want to serve and do the will of God you will search the doctrine and find out if I am telling you the truth. This is also a lesson for us today. If you want to know if a preacher is teaching you the truth go to the bible, you will know. Since Jesus used this offer of proof I believe it to be fair to say that the word authenticates the preacher and not the preacher authenticates the word. Not that we in any way measure up to Jesus. Jesus explained that the doctrine he teaches is not his own, but the doctrine that was given to Him by his Father. If He was teaching His own doctrine He would be seeking His own glory. But He who seeks to glorify God is true.
People claim to honor Moses so Jesus reminded them that Moses gave them the law and not one of them obeys the law. Yet for the sake of the law, they would circumcise a baby so as not to break the law, the law says that a child had to be circumcised on the eight-day after birth. If that day falls on the sabbath they obeyed the law concerning circumcision but, when Jesus healed a man on the sabbath they became very angry. Don’t judge according to the way something appears, judge with righteous judgment.
Religious Leaders
After hearing the crowds The religious leaders sent the temple guards to arrest Jesus, but when they heard him speak, they stopped in their tracks Never have I heard a man speak like that before. they were scolded by the religious leaders for not carrying out their orders. The crowd reasoned among themselves concluding that when the Messiah comes they will not know where He is from because they know where Jesus is from. Jesus told them“Yes, you know me, and you know where I am from. I am not here on my own authority, but he who sent me is true. You do not know him, but I know him because I am from him and he sent me.“I shall be with you a little while longer, and then I go to Him who sent Me. You will seek Me and not find Me, and where I am you cannot come.”(33, 34) Suddenly Jesus stood up and said, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within (37-38).
Immediately the temple guards said what did he mean? Where is He going? Jesus was telling everyone that He is going home where he will be glorified, once He is glorified, The Holy Spirit is going to come. The life Giving Spirit of God. Everyone who believes is going to be filled by the Holy Spirit and receive eternal life.
The question remains today. Jesus asked Peter Who do men say that I am? Then Jesus asked Peter who do you say that I Am? Peter replied you are the Christ, The living God. Who do you say that Jesus is? The answer to this question will determine where you spend eternity. This is the question that comes before the world and everyone must answer. The answer will come in the form of belief. God said that if you believe that Jesus is His Son and that He (God) sent him to the world to die on the cross for your sin and mine, that you shall have eternal life. The scripture said if you confess with your mouth Jesus Christ is Lord and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. The scripture also says that anyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. Thank you, Lord, for your love, goodness, grace, and generosity. My friends, who do you say Jesus is?
Daily Dose 05/01/2020
https://testflight.apple.com/join/om8voNVm When one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, he went to the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table. A woman in that town who lived a sinful life learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee’s house, so she came there with an alabaster jar of perfume. As she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them, and poured perfume on them.
When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is—that she is a sinner.”
Jesus answered him, “Simon, I have something to tell you.”
“Tell me, teacher,” he said.
“Two people owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he forgave the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?”
Simon replied, “I suppose the one who had the bigger debt forgiven.”
“You have judged correctly,” Jesus said.
Then he turned toward the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—as her great love has shown. But whoever has been forgiven little loves little.”
Then Jesus said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”
The other guests began to say among themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?”
Jesus said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace”(Luke 7:36-50).
In the days when Jesus was here, it was customary to recline while eating. dinner quest would lie on coaches with their heads near the table. they would prompt themselves upon their elbow and stretch their feet out behind them. The woman could easily wash his feet without approaching the table. There were several customs that were not observed, or extended to Jesus, as a quest in the house of Simon who was a pharisee. Simon observed what the woman was doing and also recognized the type of woman she was. He immediately said to himself that this was proof that Jesus was not a prophet, because He didn’t reject the woman who was washing his feet. Jesus having omniscience knew what he was thinking. through the use of a parable, Jesus ask Simon who would be more grateful for the forgiveness of the debt? Simon said that it would be the one who had the most debt.
Jesus pointed out Simon’s inconsistencies. It was customary for a quest to be greeted with a kiss, it was customary to anoint the quest head with olive oil because people wore sandals it was customary to wash their feet. Jesus explained to Simon that this sinful woman who has sinned much has washed his feet with her tears, and wiped them with her hair, Simon you wouldn’t even give me the courtesy of olive oil to anoint my head, but she has covered my feet with expensive perfume, you wouldn’t give me the customary kiss, but this woman has not stopped kissing my feet. Jesus said “therefore her sins and there are many are forgiven, for she loved me much, but one who is forgiven little show little love. It is the grateful prostitute whose sin is forgiven and not the stingy religious leaders. It is God’s grace through faith that sins are forgiven and not acts of love or generosity. Her act demonstrated her true faith and Jesus honored her faith. Overflowing love is the natural response to forgiveness. Only those who realize the depth of their sin can appreciate the complete forgiveness God offers. Do you appreciate the wideness of God’s mercy? are you grateful for his forgiveness?
