A MINDFUL GOD AND CREATOR

A MINDFUL GOD AND CREATOR by M.G. Bueno

Psa 8:1  <To the chief Musician upon Gittith, A Psalm of David.> O LORD our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth! who hast set thy glory above the heavens.

Psa 8:2  Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength because of thine enemies, that thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger. 

Psa 8:3  When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained; 

Psa 8:4  What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him? 

Psa 8:5  For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour. 

Psa 8:6  Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all things under his feet:

Psa 8:7  All sheep and oxen, yea, and the beasts of the field; 

Psa 8:8  The fowl of the air, and the fish of the sea, and whatsoever passeth through the paths of the seas.

Psa 8:9  O LORD our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth!

In our Bible is a picture of God’s amazing love for man.  The psalmist here is in awe, he is in great amazement as he considers God’s “love relationship” with his creation, man.  As David surveys the vastness of heaven and the brightness of the moon and the stars compared to his insignificant estate, he began to conclude how that  the love of God for man is greater than any love that he had seen in this world.  It’s a love that is always mindful and thoughtful for man’s betterment and happiness.  God loves all of his creation but his love for man is greater than any of his creation, so that man is the apple of God’s eyes, and God’s eyes are ever focused upon him.   

We read in the book of Genesis that God made man in his own image from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, the first recorded CPR.  And as God imparts in man LIFE, the bible says that he became a living soul, an animated being, with a God given freedom to choose, and to make decisions freely. He can chose to obey or not obey; to love or not love God.  Yet, to love God and to serve him should be the choice that you and I have to make.  The Bible said that we love God because he first loved us even before the foundation of the world.  David said in, 

Psa 139:14  I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.

Man’s physical body may have been made from dirt but his soul is an extension of God's heavenly and eternal breath. 

I’ve heard of a joke about man and God having a competition to create a human.  God told man to go first.  Man got all of his instruments ready, and just as he was about to scoop up some dirt to begin, God said, No, Uh-uh, you gonna have to create your own dirt too.  The competition is over, and God won.  And God will always win  

So satan also thought he could be just like God.  He may be able to give some kind of life, but it’s not  abundant and fulfilling life.  The life he has to offer is only temporary, which may seem abundant at first but full of misery in the end.  And still satan tries to flatter men and women, that they could be just like God, which he himself knew is impossible.  

In the book of Ecclesiastes it gives us a true picture of what of happens when a man dies. 

Ecc 12:7  Then shall the dust (which is the body) shall return to the earth as it was: and the spirit (which is the soul) shall return unto God who gave it.

Our soul is eternal and it will return to God when we die.  What happens to that soul after it returns to God?  The Bible said, that that soul is going to be judged for what that soul did in the body.  The Bible said, That it is appointed for a man once to die and after this the judgement.  Yet there were also people in the bible that died and were raised again from the dead, because God had permitted them to live again the second time.  Because you cannot always tell what God wills to do.  But he has the power to give and to take away life.  

Ecc 3:21  Who knoweth the spirit of man that goeth upward, and the spirit of the beast that goeth downward to the earth? 

Animals may have a spirit, but it returns to earth when the body dies.  God, to a certain degree have given animals intelligence to interact with man.  And sometimes animals can be tamed and be trained to do things, and are very helpful and beneficial to man to do certain jobs.  But God had not given them the same spirit that he gave to man.

I remember in School, they taught that man is a member of the animal kingdom.  And It was not hard for me to believe then, because man does eat meat, fruit and vegetables just like any other animal, and in fact he is part of the food chain, which makes him both the consumer and the victim, therefore, in that sense, man is a member of the animal kingdom.  And they taught about the theory of evolution in which man evolved from monkeys.  But if you begin to look at the history of man, you will see, if you really open your eyes, you will see that man is far from being in the animal kingdom.  Because after so many thousands of years, we’ve never heard of an animal begin to invent  machines, or build civilizations, or write music, or discover new things. 

Today, there are knowledge and teachings that are being taught in so called institutions of higher learning, where the unlearned is supposed to learn the truth about man and the things around him, but sadly, the student is not getting any true knowledge.  It goes to show that people believe what they want to believe, and people understand what they want to understand.  But the truth will always be the truth.  And if we want the truth, our number one textbook should be the word of God.  That is, we prove other books by the Bible, it doesn’t matter whether it’s a book of science or philosophy that we’re reading, we have to prove it by the word of God.

There are people who would rather believe in the writings of Charles Darwin than the Word of God.  They would rather believe on some outlandish doctrine than the pure doctrine of the Scriptures.  Evolution has been proven in many points to be untrue, yet some people still believe it unto this day.  But the word of God has never been proven wrong,  but instead, it had been proven right over and over again, yet people still don’t want to believe. 

Before the discovery of electricity, maybe it’s okey for people to not believe that electricity truly exist.  But when after it was discovered, it would have been foolish to say that it doesn’t exist, just because they don’t see it.    And it’s been about 300 years since electricity was first discovered, and it’s been proven over and over again that it exist, and today, no one doubts its existence.  And today, if someone doubts that electricity exist, people would think that that person is just being dumb.

The Bible and world history record of God's accomplishments, it record his creation of all things.  God’s word is not just limited to the pages of the bible, but you can see it in the lives of men and women who’s been affected and influenced by His power.  And we have seen with our eyes the miracles by believing the name of His Son Jesus Christ.  Miracles are still in operation, people are still getting healed, people are still getting filled with the Holy Ghost, people are still getting saved from sin.  Their changed lives are evidence of his workmanship.  The power of God’s word is still showing results.   And yet two thousand years later, some still doubt God’s existence, and his effectual working in the lives of men and women.  The Bible said, “You have to be a fool to say that God doesn’t exist.”  The Bible said,

  

The fool said in his heart there is no God.

Man is uniquely made by God, apart from all of the earthly creatures that he had made.  Some may try to prove that man is no different from an animal or any living creature.  It goes back to the garden of Eden when satan brought man down from the honorable position where God had placed him.  And it has always been satan’s purpose to destroy all of God’s creation, especially man whom he created to be like him.  Satan is a killer and the destroyer of man, and he wants to degrade and trample upon the glory of man that is given to him by God.    

No wonder there’s a lot of killing going on, you read it daily in the news, and how about abortion, killing babies to the thousands before they were even born?  And animals are loved more than a human being.

That is why satan wants you to be ignorant of the things of God.  He wants you to be ignorant of who you really are.  Satan is the father of all knowledge and doctrines that go against the knowledge of God.  He’ll do anything for you to be ignorant of God’s word.  He’ll put doubts in your mind to not believe God.  He’ll do anything to stop you from learning anything about the word of God.  That’s why God in the Bible said,

Hosea 4:6 My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.

He’s not talking about math or science or some kind of knowledge that you learn in school, but the knowledge that comes from God and from his word, the Holy Bible, which the human soul needs in order to live.

If you allow the knowledge of the word of God to influence you by the Holy Spirit of God.  If you allow the knowledge of the Son of God Jesus Christ in your mind, it will lead you to know Him and be in Him.  The Bible said,

If anyman be in Christ, he is a new creature, old things pass away, behold all things are become new. That’s the kind of a result that we need.  The result of a changed life through the gospel of Jesus Christ.

You are unique, you have a soul that is eternal, because it is the very breath and life that comes from God himself.  The Bible said,  

What does it profit a man if he gain the whole world and lose his soul?

Our present world, is filled with people who have totally sold out and lost their soul to the devil. People are oblivious to the fact, that satan had already stolen their souls and the souls of their children mercilessly through the so called entertainment on TV, through video games, and through the internet.  The hip hop culture, is teeming with the souls of men and women who are sold out to its message of violence.  Not knowing the word of God, leaves one blind to the workings of satan, because what’s happening is taking place in the spiritual realm, and satan is working in the spiritual realm.  And the souls of children and men and women are being destroyed, ignorant of the enemy of their soul.  If only someone will tell them and teach them the word of God to save their souls from death, only then will they be saved.    

And it’s our responsibility to teach our children about God, and about their soul, and it’s our responsibility to bring them to church to learn about God and God’s plan for them.

Why are we saying all these?  It’s because God loves you and he cares about your soul.

Psa 8:4  What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?

God is mindful of you today.  He’s been visiting you, speaking to you with that still small voice, leading you to know him, to fellowship with him.

And God does not want anyone to die in their sin, that’s why he made a plan for you to be saved from sin.  

Because the Bible said, for the wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life.

Yes man was separated in the beginning from his fellowship, but God had already made a plan even before he created man, before the foundation of the world,  to reconcile man back to him.

And He did it through his Son Jesus Christ.  God wants to restore the glory which man had in the beginning, it’s God’s plan to put your life back together, the way God planned it to be.

The Bible said,

Eph 2:10  For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

God wants to remake your life thru the sacrificial death of his Son Jesus Christ.  The Blood of Christ is able to cleanse you from the death of sin.  God wants to give you another chance to live a better life, better than the life that you are living without Christ in your life.  Jesus said,

Joh 10:10  The thief (which is satan) cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

Let me ask you the question:  Has sin made your life better?  Are you happier today because of the goodness of sin in your life?  

If not then, why live in sin?  Has satan given you abundant life?  But Jesus will and God will because he loves you, because he’s mindful of you, and he doesn’t want you to destroy yourself or be destroyed by the enemy of your soul?

God’s arms are wide open to receive you, all you have to do is come to him.

The Bible said, 

Joh 15:13  Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.

Through the eyes of love Jesus Christ looked at all men as friends who needs rescuing from the death of sin.  This is the reason why he died on calvary's cross for the sin of the whole world.  So there's no more excuse.  Would you come to Jesus Christ and invite him in your life? 

Fruits of Calvinism

ALL THAT JESUS IS ABOUT

ALL THAT JESUS IS ABOUT

by M.G. Bueno

Joh 3:1  There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: 

Joh 3:2  The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him. 

Joh 3:3  Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. 

Joh 3:16  For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 

Joh 3:17  For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. 

Jesus Christ is all about saving, and healing and blessing and grace and mercy, though all judgement was given unto Jesus by God the Father.  It says in,

Joh 5:22  For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son: 

The power to judge is given by the Father to His Son Jesus Christ.  No, it is not given to us nor to anyone other than Jesus Christ.  The Bible has established this fact that we ought not to judge anyone.  Jesus is the only rightful judge of the universe.

There's only one that the bible told us to judge.  It tells us in, 

1Co 11:31  For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged.

Now we have established the fact that Jesus is the only judge above all, yet the scripture tells us that he relinquished this power to judge at the time when he has all the right to do so.

In JOHN 12:47 I came not to judge the world, but to save the world.

And again in,

Luk 9:56  For the Son of man is not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them. 

Luk 19:10  For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost. 

Joh 3:17  For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

Mat 1:21  And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins. 

In the book of Luke chapter 2, an angel a messenger from God, heralded the birth of Jesus Christ to a few shepherds.

Luk 2:11  For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. 

Luk 2:12  And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. 

Luk 2:13  And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, 

Luk 2:14  Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. 

What the angels were saying is that in Jesus there is Glory toward God, in Jesus there is peace, and in Jesus there is goodwill to all men. 

It is God intention for you to have peace in your life thru His Son Jesus Christ.  Because without Jesus Christ there is no peace.  Without Jesus Christ there is no salvation from sin.  Without Jesus Christ there’s no eternal life.

In Jesus Christ God wanted all men to be reconciled back unto him.  The main theme of the story of Jesus coming to the world, is not about the judgement or condemnation of man, but about the reconciliation of man back to the one and only God.  The theme of the Bible is the Redemption of man from the death sentence of sin.  Because God is not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.  

Sometimes the scriptures seem to contradict when the angel heralded peace and goodwill toward men at the birth of Jesus, which is His coming to this world.  Jesus said in,

Luk 12:51  Suppose ye that I am come to give peace on earth? I tell you, Nay; but rather division: 

Luk 12:52  For from henceforth there shall be five in one house divided, three against two, and two against three. 

Luk 12:53  The father shall be divided against the son, and the son against the father; the mother against the daughter, and the daughter against the mother; the mother in law against her daughter in law, and the daughter in law against her mother in law. 

Here it seem to contradict the very purpose of Jesus to reconcile man back to God, and for man to be at peace with God.  Because he said, I did not come to bring peace to the world.  Why is this? It is  because of man’s unbelief and rebellion, that what God meant for peace and reconciliation became a division, because man doesn’t want to receive God.  The Bible said,

He came to his own but his own received him not.  The Jews thought that Jesus was crazy, an impostor who was claiming to be the Son of God, the Messiah.

Joh 7:43  So there was a division among the people because of him. 

Joh 9:16  Therefore said some of the Pharisees, This man is not of God, because he keepeth not the sabbath day. Others said, How can a man that is a sinner do such miracles? And there was a division among them.

The division was not caused by Jesus Christ, but by the unbelieving.

Families are divided because not all members of the family agree whom they’re going to serve.  But it doesn’t matter which God mother or father serve, we should serve the one and only true God thru the LORD Jesus Christ.  

There’s a drawing power tonight of the love of God.  The love of God for the whole world is so amazing, it cannot be explained by the most articulate person in the whole world.  

And this same love disposition of Jesus Christ attracted Nicodemus, a man who was a religious leader of his time, and to meet the master himself was his best route.    Nicodemus decided, “I must see Jesus, myself.”  

You see, our life in God is being read like a book by people around us daily.  How our lives differ from others and from the norms of this world, a life which would make the people of this world anxious to see, what makes us blessed, what makes us above the rest though not by our own power but in the power of God, what makes us go on thru many obstacles in this life and still have hope to the end.  

God had set us up on a stage so to speak for people to see, that in God nothing is impossible, that in God there is hope for everyone who comes to Jesus Christ, that sin can be conquered, that we can live a righteous and a holy life in Christ Jesus.  And so the life of Jesus became a wonder to the eyes of people, and Nicodemus was anxiously drawn by it.  And he wanted to know, what makes Jesus the way that he is.  

And Nicodemus heard the greatest message that would later echo thru the ages.  Jesus told Nicodemus, “You must be born again.”  Tonight, this is the only way to get rid of the sin problem in your life. It is to be born again of the Spirit of God.  That is to be born again to a new you by the Spirit of God.  

The Bible said, “If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature, old things pass away, behold all things are become new.”  

Christ in your life, is to cleanse you from the guilt of sin, and allowing him to guide your life in the paths of God’s righteousness.  

God doesn’t want anyone to go to hell and to the lake of fire.  But it is sad to say that everyday, people end up in the fires of hell, not because God send them their, but they themselves.  People have chosen sin, and the wages of sin is eternal separation from God and eternal death in the lake of fire.  The bible said that the everalasting fire was prepared by God for the devil and his messengers.  

People listen to the voice of the devil, but what they don’t know is that the devil wants them destroyed in the lake of fire.  The devil himself knows that his end is the lake of fire, and he’s determined in himself to not go their by himself, he wants others to suffer with him through out eternity.  There’s not going to be any party in hell but only torment and suffering for eternity, weeping and gnashing of teeth, where their worm does not die.

It is not God’s desire for people to perish and be destroyed.  First of all he had sent his only begotten Son to die for the sins of the world.  And now he sends his servant preachers to reach out to the lost and the dying souls of men and women.  And he sends his Holy Spirit to convict people of their sin.  Yet you hear people all the time, accusing God of condemning people and judging them and sending them to hell.  

Tonight, God is your friend.  The devil is not your friend, he is your enemy.  Jesus is your friend.  Everyone should be running toward God and away from the devil.  Tonight, God is man’s best friend.

The Bible said, 

Joh 15:13  Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.

This speaks of the greatest love that a man can give.  But the even greater love that God has shown is Jesus dying to save the lives of his enemies.

Because Jesus did not only die for his friends but also for his enemies.  Jesus died for those who crucified him, he died for those who spat upon his face, and pulled his beard.  And while yet hanging on the cross, he cried, Father forgive them, for they know not what they do.

Rom 5:10  For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. 

Rom 5:8  But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

Alll that Jesus wants for the whole world is to be saved from sin, and that is to believed in him and allow his blood to wash our sins, our conscience, our lives and be born again of the Spirit of God.

That’s what Jesus is all about.  Jesus is all about saving, and healing and blessing and giving.  And Jesus is not to blame if people are not saved, if people are not healed or are not blessed. 

With all that’s said about Jesus Christ.  What’s stopping you from coming to him.  What’s stopping you from being his instrument to reach men and women for him.  What’s stopping you from receiving his blessings and his gifts that he made available for you.  What’s stopping us from telling the people that the gospel of Jesus Christ is the only  way to restore man’s relationship with God?

Why don't you call upon the name of Jesus right now, and tell him to save you from sin and from the enemy of your soul satan.  

PENTECOSTAL FIRE

BAPTISM OF THE HOLY SPIRIT-Reinhard Bonnke

THE WORD OF TRUTH

THE WORD OF TRUTH

By M.G. Bueno

Joh 17:17  Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.

JOHN 8(32) And ye shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free.

We define truth as the body of real things, events and facts.  Truth is sincerity, in action, character and utterance.  We are living in the world, where lie and deceit have more influence on people rather than the truth. We see politicians caught lying on TV, and on the radio and not blush about it.  Worst yet, you hear even so called preachers preaching hatred and lies, which makes us realize that not everyone who calls themselves a preacher is a true preacher of the gospel, because their very words tells us so.  The bible even admonish us to test the spirit of their message; we have to test their way of life, whether it’s according to the word of God or not.  And all around us, we can see the rise of perverted so called philosophies, doctrines and values that utterly disregards the truth, particularly the word of God.  It is no wonder why people are embracing ungodliness, immorality and atheism. 

ROMANS 1(23-25) They changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things. And they changed the truth of God into a lie and serve the creature more than the creator.  

People try to change God, and try to fit God in their carnal way of life, and thinking. But people ought to be the ones who need to change and live their life to reflect what’s written in God’s word.   God is a God who will never change nor go against his word.  You can make the word of God say what you want it to say, but the word of God is already settled in heaven, that means that the word of God is as settled as is the sky above us, it’s as eternal as God is eternal, so that the word of God is immutable, which means that it will never change nor pass away.   It is God alone who made the rules and not us.  He owns all of creation, therefore God should have preeminence in every living creation to include man who was made in his own image.  And sometimes, people don’t want to hear the word of God, because it’s rubbing them the wrong way, when in actuality God is rubbing us the right way, we just need to turn and change position, that is to repent from our sin, and quit rebelling against his word and against the conviction of his Holy Spirit. 

People try to change the interepretation of God’s word, or they erroneously interprete God’s Word, to their own destruction.  But perhaps, there are those who were just ignorant of God’s word, and has a clouded idea of God’s plan upon man, and cannot discern whether their understanding of God’s Word is right or wrong. This is one of the many reasons why there are so many different interpretations and versions of the Bible.  Sometimes you see it in church services.  A preacher may preach one thing, but it’s interepreted to many different versions of interpretations among the congregation.  Therefore, it is needful for the hearer to ask himself the question, is my interpretation of God’s word leading me closer to God? Is it keeping me away from sin?  Is my understanding of the word of God going to make my relationship with God and the people of God better, Or is it going to make it worst.  Is my interpretation of God’s Word going to please God according to his word? Another way that we can use to discern the right interepretation of the Word of God is to ask ourselves, is it within the boundaries of the rules of faith, or is it within the fundamental teachings of faith in the Bible.

People say they read the word of God, and they pray, and they do all these things, but they were never closer to God.  And if they were closer to anything at all, they were closer to the world than to God.  Why?  It’s because they have the wrong understanding of God’s word. It reminds me of the fig tree which Jesus saw, that was covered with leaves, but not one fruit can be found.  People have a lot of knowledge but that knowledge is not getting them any closer to God and to the things of God.  The word of God doesn’t have effect in them because, it’s not mixed with faith in them.

“Knowledge puffeth up, but charity edifieth. 

1Co 8:2  And if any man think that he knoweth any thing, he knoweth nothing yet as he ought to know. 

1Co 8:3  But if any man love God, the same is known of him. 

Instead of just having a bible knowledge and a knowledge about God, instead of parading what we know about God and try to impress people about it, why don’t we start loving God for a change and really have a relationship with him.  And if we love God, the bible said, then we are known of God.  In the book of 

Mat 7:22 Jesus said, Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? 

Mat 7:23  And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

In these verses Jesus Christ prophesied that there are going to be people who will call him Lord, lord, and they even prophesy, and cast out devils in his name, and did many miracles in his name.  But the Lord said, I never knew you, depart from me ye that work iniquity.  These are those people who never really have a relationship with the Lord.  Those who did works for the Lord but they didn’t really have a love for the Lord.  Perhaps, they were doing their so called works for God grudgingly.  They were not really doing it for the love of God.  Because the Bible said that if anyman love God, then he is known also of God.  And Jesus said to these impostors, “I never knew you, depart from me, ye that work iniquity.  The only way that we can be known of God is by loving God.  What a sad edict to those who thought that having a knowledge of God and doing things for God is good enough and not have a true love relationship with God.  They prophesied and did miracles in the name of God, yet they did it, not because they love God but for gain and to make merchandise of people.  And the Lord told them to depart from him, and he told them, I never knew you, and called them workers of iniquity.  Do you really love God? If anyman love God, the same is known of him.  God knows the people who really loved him, because they have that relationship with him.  If you really love someone, you make time for them, and you want to be around them.  Love is an action word.  Jesus also said, “If you love me, obey my commandments.”  How’s your relationship with God?     Do you want to have a love relationship with God?  Do you even read his word or believe what he said in the Bible?  Do you believe the Bible is truly the word of God?

In 2 Peter 1(19-21)

2Pe 1:19  We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed (or listen carefully or pay attention), as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts: 

2Pe 1:20  Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. 

2Pe 1:21  For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.

Peter was sure that the word of God did not originate from man.  It’s not just a fruit of his own imagination.  It’s not something that he concocted in his mind. It’s totally outside the will of man.  The Bible has words written which truly originated from God, but at the same time they were written by men, and not just any men, but holy men, men who were separated by God for his will and purpose, who were godly, but most of all, who were under the influence of the Holy Ghost.  Therefore, the word in the holy Scriptures is under the influence of God, and it influences people to love God and to love their fellowmen as themselves.  There are people who are under some kind of influence, but not of God.  But it’s the influence that would cause them to commit sin against God and commit crime against their fellowmen, and against themselves.  An influence that’s leading them to sorrow and disappointments, the influence of drugs, alcohol and peer pressure, and deceit and rebellion.  

What’s influencing us?   what’s movng us, or driving us to do the things that we do.  Here in our Bible reading it tells us that the scriptures were written by holy men of God under the influence of the Holy Ghost.  They were moved by the Holy Ghost as they spoke the word of God, and as they write the word of God.  And so the word of God is Holy.  And God who spoke his word is Holy and the Holy Ghost is holy.  That's why the Bible is Holy.  And if we read and live the Holy Bible then we live a holy life.  And live under the influence of the Holy Bible, under the influence of the word of God, under the influence of the Holy Ghost.  The word of God, has power to influence people to do the right thing, and to put things in order in their lives.  It gives power to fight sin and be victorious over sin by the Holy Ghost.  But more importantly, it points us to a God, who wants to have a love relationship with man whom he created in his own image.  

Paul said, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth.”   

II.  JOHN 8:32).Jesus said, And ye shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free.” 

God wants to set you free by his truth.  The truth of God’s word has the power the set people free.  From what? it sets people free from deceit ,lies and from any knowledge that exalt itself against the word of God.  The word of God will set people free from sin.  And the truth is that Jesus came to the world to save men and women from their sin.  Jesus said I came to seek and to save that which was lost.  The word of God serves as map.  It shows us the right way, it will put us back in the right track that leads to Jesus Christ.  Jesus said I am the way, the truth and the life.  The Bible said That his name shall be called Jesus, for he shall saved his people from their sin..  Jesus will pull you out of sin to where it could no longer affect you.  And that means that Jesus saves us to the uttermost from sin, unless we walk back into sin.  The Bible said, that the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life.  Jesus Christ put all of the sins of the world  upon himself.  And the Bible said, that He himself became sin for us so that while dying on the cross, God the Father could not even look at him.  The Father turned his face from him.  Jesus Christ was forsaken by God the Father on the cross because of the sin of the whole world that was placed upon him.  The bible said that, Jesus cried to the Father, My God, my God, why has thou forsaken me?  Jesus was separated at that moment from fellowship with God the Father because of the sins of the world upon him.  People are separated from God because of sin.  A person cannot have fellowship with God because of sin in his life.    

But God is calling everyone saying, 

Isa 1:18  Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. 

We see in these verses, that God is not a mean God, which is contrary to what many believe.  He’s calling us, inviting us to come to him.  If we have sin in our life that’s been troubling us, that’s making our life miserable, God has remedy for it.  God can wash your sins white as snow thru the blood of his Son  Jesus Christ who died on the cross for you.   And he will not only wash away the sins which you have committed but also the desires that influence you to commit sin, he will get rid of that nature inside of you that wants to sin, and then replace it with the desire to love God and your fellowmen.  The Bible said, that God commendeth his love toward us, that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us.  Do you realize that Christ died for you while you were still sinning, doing the things which is not pleasing to God.   That’s how God loves you.  The fact that you are a sinner did not change his love for you, and he wants to save you from the sin that’s killing you.

For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on him should not perish but have everlasting life.” God so love the world that he made a way for everyone to be saved from sin.  Yet the whole world is not saved.  Why?  Because not everyone receive the invitation of God to be save.  Not everyone receive Jesus Christ who is the only way to salvation for the souls of men and women from sin.  

The Bible said, “Joh 1:12  But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:  

Salvation is made available to you by God, and he’s giving it to whoever wants to receive it.  

Act 4:12  Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.

All you have to do is invite Jesus to come into your heart, and cleanse you from sin by his blood, and allow him to live in your heart, and change your life, and make you a new creature in God.  

THE BIBLICAL FATHER

ADVANCE HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

TWO NEW BORNS ADDED TO THE CHURCH

SEMAJ JAMES AND FAITH WERE BORN A DAY APART, TWO WEEKS AGO.  WE THANK AND PRAISE GOD FOR THE BABIES WHO WERE BOTH BORN IN GOOD HEALTH.

                                                                                  

GIVE THEM ALL TO JESUS (LYRICS AND CHORDS)

FIND US FAITHFUL (CHORDS AND LYRICS)

SIS. WOODS BIRTHDAY

We want to thank God for Sis. Woods who's been faithful in supporting her husband Pastor R.A. Woods and also being a blessing to all of us members of the NTCC Church in Wichita, Kansas.  Let's continue to pray for them both for God to give them the strength and the wisdom to lead the church of God thru the power of the Holy Ghost in Jesus Christ.

DEEPER, DEEPER Lyrics and Chords

WE WANT TO INVITE YOU TO THE "WE ARE FAMILY" SUNDAY WORSHIP SERVICE 4/22/2012, AT 11:00 A.M.  THERE WILL BE A FELLOWSHIP DINNER AFTER THE SERVICE.  YOU MAY BRING YOUR FAVORITE FOOD TO SHARE FOR THE POTLUCK OR JUST BRING YOURSELF.  PLEASE INVITE YOUR FAMILY AND FRIENDS.  THERE WILL BE ACTIVITIES AND BIBLE LESSONS FOR THE CHILDREN.  

1Jn 3:14  We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death. 

Gal 6:1  Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted. 

Gal 6:2  Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ. 

EASTER SUNDAY 4/8/2012

THE BAPTISM OF THE HOLY GHOST

OUR YOUTUBE CHANNEL

SEE OUR YOU TUBE CHANNEL. CLICK HERE

THERE'S HOPE IN JESUS CHRIST

THERE’S HOPE OF SALVATION FROM SIN IN CHRIST JESUS

By M.G. Bueno

1Jn 2:1  My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: 

1Jn 2:2  And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.

In our bible reading, John was writing about sin.  And we know that sin by definition is the transgression of God’s word. And really when we think of sin, the one word which sums up all of the definition of sin would be “unbelief,” because anything we do without faith or in unbelief is sin; not believing God, not believing his word, then sin becomes a wall that separates us from God.  Because God cannot be one or have fellowship with someone who is in sin.  And this doesn’t mean that God will not hear a repentant sinner’s prayer who wants to make it right with God, because it is God’s will for every man or woman to repent to be restored back to His fellowship.  So that John also said, that if any man sin, we have an advocate or a spokesman to make our plea with the father.  But how can a sinner be justified, or be made just or righteous before God? It’s through the cleansing power of the blood of Jesus Christ, because there’s power in the blood of Jesus Christ.  We don’t know what’s in the blood, or how it works to wash sin, but the bible said that the blood of Christ is able to wash us from sin white as snow; and not only our sins but our thoughts, our consciensce and our life, can be made clean, when washed by the blood of Jesus Christ.  Jesus Christ is the great physician who is able to remove sin from a person’s life.  Jesus said in,  

Mar 2:17 “… They that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”

If there's no hope at all to be saved from sin, God would not have sent us his only begotten Son to die on the cross.  There's hope to be cured from sin, otherwise Jesus would not have shed his blood on calvary.  And everything that God did and Jesus did would have been in vain if it didn’t work.  But they did it for us because it works, so that the sacrifice of Jesus and the Father was not in vain. It’s only in vain for those who do not believe, and for those who deride the power of the gospel, for those who underestimate the power of the blood of Jesus Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit.

The Bible shows us examples of the faults and failures of mankind because of sin from Genesis to Revelation.  And from it’s pages we can glean and learn lessons from the word of God, which was written for us so that the failures which happened in the pass may not repeat itself again in our generation.  And looking at the world that we’re living in, and from all of the information that we gather from it, it seems as if, man will never learn from the negative things that happened in the pass.  Men and women have fallen to the same tricks of the devil over and over again.  And there are many people in this generation that are ever learning but never coming to the knowledge of the truth.  People are more prone to not believe the truth.  And there are people in this world who try to destroy anything that represent truth and love.  And it really does not surprise us, because the bible said that the sinful nature of man love darkness more than light.  When the first human beings disobeyed God, their nature was darkened from its original nature of Light.

For this reason David said, I was shapen in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceived me.

Paul cried, “Oh, wretched man that I am, who shall save me from the body of this death.”  The body of this flesh is nothing but death.  Our flesh is against the spirit.  The Spirit is willing to serve God but the flesh resist against serving God.  That is why Jesus said to his disciples when they were in the garden, before his crucifixion.   

Mat 26:41  Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.

If anyman is tempted in the flesh, the solution to the problem is to watch and pray.  If you begin to feel selfishness creeping into your life, watch and pray.  If you feel like you don’t want to do what God tells you to do,  watch and pray.  This is the only way to put the flesh under subjection by the help of the Spirit of God.  The flesh is the part of man that is against the spirit.  Flesh when spelled backwards is self.  But the Blood of Jesus Christ is our hope to go on for God while we live in this world and in the world to come.  And the Holy Spirit of God is our strength, our energy, our coach, our comforter  and our certainty to make it in God all the way, until we  see God face to face.

Eph 4:30  And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.

God is giving everyone His gift of power which is the Holy Spirit, as our companion, for us to overcome the tricks of the devil who tries to stop our progress in God.   And God is confident that with the Holy Ghost, we can make it in Him.  The bible said, 

“Awake thou that sleepest and Christ shall give thee light.”  

If your life is not progressing, if it’s not going anywhere in the way that you’ve been doing it for years, maybe because it’s time for you to make that change and  it’s time for you to change masters.  And make Jesus your master.  And you can rest assure that it will make your life better.  If you need real change in your life, you gonna have to do something about it.  You have to make it up in your mind that you’re going to serve God whatever happens.  You gonna have to resolve in your mind that you want God’s blessings in your life?  And I’m not talking about financial or material blessings, but spiritual blessings.  Because when your spirit is blessed, all the rest comes to it’s rightful place.  And it’s time for you to do it the correct way.   And Jesus is the only Way.  Jesus said I am the way, the truth and the life.  And his way is not going to lead you to disappointments, but he’ll lead you to abundant life and satisfaction in your soul.  Which will make your life much better than when you didn’t have Christ in your life.  

And the truth is that Jesus came to the world to save men and women from their sin.  That’s the number one reason, and the number one truth, that, he came to save you and I from the bondage of sin.  And the Bible said, that He himself became sin for us, so that while dying on the cross, God the Father could not even look at him.  The Father had to turn his face away from his Son, because of the sin of the world that was place upon him; he was forsaken by God so that he cried Father, My God, my God, why has thou forsaken me?  Because Jesus was separated at that moment from the fellowship of the Father because of the sins of the world, which he willingly placed upon himself so that the world maybe saved.  

But inspite of all the pain that Jesus suffered on the cross, inspite of the blood that was poured out from him, Jesus said, “Father forgive them, for they know not what they do.”  

The Bible said that the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life.

So now, you don’t have to die in your sin, because Jesus had already died for you.  And God is giving you eternal life thru his son Jesus Christ.  The Bible said, Whoever believes in Jesus Christ will not perish, but have everlasting life.  The blood of Jesus Christ is able to wash your soul from sin white as snow.  God said to Israel in,

Isa 1:18  Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. 

The Bible said, if anyman be in Christ, he is a new creature, old things pass away, behold all things are become new.  Being saved tonight is like when you just got out of the shower, and putting on a clean suit or dress, or drive a brand new car. What’s keeping you from becoming a brand new man and woman of God.  Is sin really worth it to suffer eternal judgement in the lake of fire?  If you’ll end up in the lake of fire, it’s not going to be because you were not warned by the word of God.  It’s not going to be because God was not gracious and merciful enough.  But it’s gonna be because you have made the decision to not listen to the direction of God, and listen instead to your flesh.  The bible said that God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.  God doesn’t want you be killed in sin but he wants to save you.  God doesn’t want you condemned but condemned sin instead.  Because in ROMANS 8, it says,

 Rom 8:1  There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. 

Rom 8:2  For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. 

Rom 8:3  For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: 

That’s how good our God is!  And it’s because of this goodness and love which causes us to repent, because it says in ROMANS 4,

Rom 2:4  Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance? 

My God has been good to me.  That’s the kind of God that we serve, it is his goodness that causes us to be ashamed and see our lost condition.  It is his goodness that open our eyes and see why we can’t continue to live in sin.  Because God has been very good to us.  And so, there still hope for you and I because of the goodness which was declared through Jesus Christ.  All you have to do is surrender your life to Jesus Christ, and invite him into your life to wash your sins by his blood and be made new.  

THE TRUE CHILDREN OF GOD

THE TRUE CHILDREN OF GOD 

By M.G. Bueno

Luk 3:7  Then said he to the multitude that came forth to be baptized of him, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 

Luk 3:8  Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of repentance, and begin not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, That God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.

Luk 3:9  And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: every tree therefore which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. 

Luk 3:10  And the people asked him, saying, What shall we do then? 

In our Bible reading John was preaching to the people saying that the axe was already laid upon the root of every tree by God.  God was ready to cut down every tree that’s not bearing good fruit.  God was about to judge the nation of Israel.  Their profession of being Abraham’s children was not enough.  God wanted to see true repentance and they’re going to have to show it by their actions, and not just by their words.  Just like the people of today, they make claims about being a close relative to someone who is close to God, or to someone who is serving God.  They claim salvation by someone else who is faithful to God.  The people in our Bible reading were trying to disproved John, that God cannot cut them down like a tree for the reason that they were children of the faithful Abraham whom God called his friend.  But the Bible is clear that the seed of Abraham are those which are not according to a fleshly bloodline or descent, but according to the spiritual.  The children of Abraham are those who shared the same faith that Abraham has.  We are children of God for no other reason, but because we have been born of God in the spirit.  It is God who birthed us through a heavenly birth, after we received Jesus Christ in our life.  We’ve been born the second time into the heavenly family of God.  And we have been given the power, or the right and privilege to become his children, so that we resemble Him who is now our Father, and his Son Jesus Christ,  being now made partakers of His divine nature, a nature that is just like God.  

But the Jews also claim their bloodline and descent from Abraham, yet they don’t resemble the character of Abraham, nor could they relate themselves to who Abraham really was in the spiritual.  Their belief system does not correspond to the faith that Abraham had.  They were like impostor children who try to claim inheritance from a man who is not really their father.  They were trying to claim inheritance by a person that they didn’t even care about, when he was yet alive, and all of a sudden, claim to be of close relation because of alterior motives to partake of a inheritance because of greed.  What a perfect anology of people who claim to be children of God, and even try to prove it by the written record of God, and make it sound as if God had truly given them the right to be his children, yet by their actions, they don’t resemble the God whom they claim to be their father. 

The Bible said, But as many as received him to them gave he the power to become the sons of God, even to them that believed on his name.” 

Thinking that God is your father, or thinking that you are his child is not going to save you just as professing that you’re save is not going to save you, because even the bible said, “Not everyone that says Lord, Lord will enter into the Kingdom of Heaven.”  Your life has to back up what you said you are, their must be some proof worthy of saying that you are saved.  There must be an evidence in the way that you live.  

In the world, in order to prove a person who claim to be the child of someone else, he must first go through a certain test.  They call it the DNA Testing.  They test the DNA that’s in the blood of the person to see if what he claims to be, is true, for the reason that the DNA of the Father should match his son’s DNA.  And there’s no other accurate test that can prove otherwise, because the blood will always tell the truth.   And anyone who claim to be a child of God must first pass the blood test whether they really are children of God, and that’s by the blood of Jesus Christ.  Have you been washed in the blood of the Lamb, who is Jesus Christ?  Have you become a blood brother of him who shed his blood for your sins on calvary?  Will you pass the blood test for the kinship that you claim that you have with the Father?

Some cannot even pass the blood test, because, they don’t believe that the blood of Jesus Christ can truly save from the power of sin that’s controlling their lives.  They think that being a good person is enough.  But just being a good person is not going to get you to heaven, you must first be washed from the power of sin by the blood of Jesus Christ.  There are good people in the world who did a lot of good things for other people, but that doesn’t mean that their good works is enough to redeem them from their sin.  It still takes the blood of Jesus Christ to wash the sins of the whole world.  It is true that Jesus died for the whole world, but not everyone in the world is saved but only those who received Jesus Christ in their life thru faith.

John said in our Bible reading that if they’re not going to repent from what they erroneously believe in the law, and receive Jesus Christ, if they’re not going to change in their thinking that they are Abraham’s children and do not do the works of Abraham, then, God is going to disown them, and God will raise up children unto Abraham from the stones, because in God nothing is impossible.  God can raise up anyone or anything to worship him if he wants to.  Noone is indespensible.  God wants us to serve him, but he doesn’t have to have us. 

When Jesus was entering the city of Jerusalem, there was a celebration among the people.  The people were rejoicing and praising God with palm branches in their hands and spreading their garments on the ground where Jesus was passing, acknowledging him to be the Messiah, who comes in the name of the Lord.  There was a great fanfare of his entering the city, and the people were shouting, Hossana in the highest!  And the Pharisees tried to silence the crowd from praising Christ, but Jesus said, I tell you that, if these should hold their peace, if these people stop praising and worshipping me, then, I will raise up the stones to worship me.  Jesus was saying, if they choose to stay silent, when they should have been celebrating, then the rocks would immediately cry out. 

When people see their favorite team making a score, they don’t just sit their emotionless.  But they make all kinds of fanfare and noise, and even start hitting each other.  They don’t care about what the next person is going to say about the noise.  But what about when it comes to worshipping God? all of a sudden so called believers began to get quiet, and make excuses why they cannot give God the fruit of their lips as a sacrifice unto God, when Jesus Christ himself made the score of scores, when he defeated satan on the cross more than 2000 years ago; and he did it for you and me, so that we may be saved from the bondage of sin, so that sin will no longer have dominion over us.  Because he died on calvary for the sins of the whole world.  It’s for you and I and not for himself.  Will you praise him for it?  Will you praise him for saving you? And so, if the people of God is not going to praise and worship him, he is able to raise up the stones to celebrate his goodness, and mercy, and his salvation, and his glory.

John said bring forth fruits worthy of repentance.  The first fruit of true repentance is receiving Jesus Christ in our life to be born again.  The Bible said unless a man is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.  You were born by a carnal birth, but the bible tells us that we must be born by a spiritual birth.  You were born in this world, but you must be born again from heaven above.  And this is the only way for us to become children of God. To be seated in the heavenly places with God.  We must be born in the family of God.  Through the born again experience, God has made us his sons and daughters. Are you in the Family of God.  Are you his child.  Have you been washed from your sin by the blood of Jesus Christ.         

OUR NEW GOOGLE+ PAGE

WE'D LIKE TO INTRODUCE TO YOU OUR NEW GOOGLE PLUS PAGE.  SEE THE LINK IN THE LEFT MARGIN OF THIS PAGE OR CLICK HERE.

CHAMPION OF LOVE

OUR NEW FACEBOOK PAGE

WE WANT TO ANNOUNCE AND INTRODUCE OUR NEW FACEBOOK SITE.  JUST CLICK ON THE LINK RIGHT IN THE LEFT MARGIN OF THIS PAGE OR CLICK HERE

CONFERENCE

One of the two little lakes inside the NTCC Campground.

CONFERENCE: Conference is again forthcoming this April 23 thru 26, 2012, and Pastor Woods and Family will be headed to the NTCC Campground in Santa ...

TRUST - Sermon Outline by Pastor R.A. Woods

JESUS NEVER FAILS (Original Key F)

THINK ABOUT HIS LOVE

RISE AGAIN (Original Key is C)

NOT FOR SALE

GET WELL SOON MAMA MITTY!!!

By M.G. Bueno

SISTER MITTY'S BEEN GOING IN AND OUT OF THE HOSPITAL THREE TIMES ALREADY FOR THE LAST FOUR WEEKS, AND WE WANT TO ASK EVERYONE TO INCLUDE HER IN YOUR PRAYERS FOR HER TO GET WELL SOON.  SIS. MITTY'S BEEN COMING TO CHURCH SINCE I'VE BEEN IN CHURCH, AND SHE'S BEEN A BLESSING TO US AND TO OTHERS IN MANY WAYS.  AND WHILE VISITING WITH HER SHE SAID WITH A BIG SMILE ON HER FACE THAT SHE'S READY TO MEET HER MAKER WHEN THE TIME COMES.  AND THAT'S WHAT MATTERS ABOVE ALL ELSE.  ARE YOU READY TO MEET WITH GOD FACE TO FACE?

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SISTER MARSHA!!!

by M.G. Bueno

WE JUST WANT TO GIVE GLORY TO GOD FOR GIVING US WORKERS IN THE CHURCH WHO ARE WILLING TO DO THE WORK THAT GOD ASKED THEM TO DO LIKE SISTER MARSHA WHO IS A GO BETWEEN AND A GAP FILLER WHERE THERE'S A NEED FOR THE WORK OF GOD TO BE ACCOMPLISHED PARTICULARY IN THE CHILDREN'S CHURCH, WHERE SHE MEETS WITH THE CHILDREN AT HER ASSIGNED SCHEDULE TO TEACH, MAKING READY THEIR INOCENT HEARTS AND MINDS TO BE FILLED AND EQUIPPED WITH THE THINGS OF GOD AS THEY GROW UP IN THE LORD.    

SPIRITUAL CONCLUSION

Spiritual Conclusion
By Pastor R.A. Woods

Text: Ecclesiastes 12:13 (KJV)
13 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.

Bible Reading: Ecclesiastes 12:13-14
Intro: Conclusion: termination or end of. Solomon, the son of David, the richest man that ever lived, when he assumed the kingdom, didn't ask God for riches, power, houses and land. He asked God to give him the wisdom to go in and to come out, to lead God's people. God was so impressed with Solomon's request, that he not only gave him wisdom, but blessed him with riches untold. As you read through the chapters in Ecclesiastes, you will find that he had experiences that brought problems to his life.

Vanity: Emptiness. (All is vanity and vexation of the spirit)

There is nothing wrong with having nice things! There is nothing wrong with having riches, material things, position, etc. The problem in them is when we allow them to own us instead of us owning them, also allowing these things to become more important than God. So that brings us to an all important conclusion, which is spiritual in nature. What is it that we can do that really matters in life, thats fulfilling and satisfying? The answer is fulfill our duty to God, not only that, but our whole duty. (complete duty)

Illustration: Day Of Judgment And Daily Work
Once in New England, a strange darkness fell at noon time. The birds started their evening songs, chickens went to roost, and cows returned from pasture. The Connecticut State Legislature was in session and it was suggested that they should adjourn, as the Day of Judgment had come. One of the legislators took the floor and said: "I am against adjournment. The Day of Judgment is either approaching or it is not. If it is not, there is no cause for adjournment. If it is, I choose to be found doing my duty. Let candles be brought in!"
Later, the poet Whittier wrote about this incident. And there he stands in memory to this day, erect, self-poised, a rugged face half seen against a background of unnatural dark--a witness to the ages as they pass that simple duty hath no place for fear.

I. Fear God

A.Fear: to stand in awe or reverence. (to look at with respect)

1. Proverbs 9:10 (KJV)
10 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.

2. Hebrews 10:31 (KJV)
31 It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

a. It's a fearful thing to know that you have not accepted Jesus Christ as your personal savior, that you have not repented of your sins and made peace with God.

b. It's a fearful thing to know that we are going to answer for every deed done in our bodies.

c. 2 Corinthians 5:10-11 (KJV)
10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.
11 Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are made manifest unto God,' and I trust also are made manifest in your consciences.

II. Keep His Commandments (It's all founded and based on love)

A. Commandments: Is an order or directive.
1. John 14:15 (KJV)
15 If ye love me, keep my commandments.

2. John 15:10 (KJV)
10 If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love.

1. When you really love God, his commandments are not grievous, they don't irritate you to do them. Real love will motivate you to obey God, and fulfill his will for your life.

Conclusion: The conclusion of the matter is that it's your duty to fear God, keep his commandments.

THE ONLY SOURCE OF OUR BLESSINGS

THE SOURCE OF OUR BLESSINGS

By M.G. Bueno

Issaquah Falls, Washington

Pro 10:22  The blessing of the LORD, it maketh rich, and he addeth no sorrow with it. 


I want to make a very important statement, that the source of rewards and blessings for our Life comes from the one and only, God.  And that the blessings of God come in the form of rewards or gifts whether spiritual, physical, or material.  And a person receives blessings or rewards from God only because of one reason, God is pleased with his life.  We cannot expect the blessings and rewards of God upon our life when we do not even serve God or please God according to His terms.  Many people want the blessings and rewards of God according to their own terms, but not in God’s terms.  People want the many benefits of God, yet they don’t even do what God wants them to do. 

Heb 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please him:  for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

The blessings and rewards of God is connected to our faith.  And faith is not something that we do only at the moment we wanted a blessing from God.  Faith is when God shows you what to do, and then you do it, because that’s what pleases God.  We must remember the benefits of God’s rewards and blessings only come when we do what is pleasing to God.  The question is this, Is that thing that you do pleasing to God?  Has your life been a sweet savor to the nostrils of God?  If not then, you cannot expect his blessings to come upon your life.  But if you do what God had showed you to do, that’s when God is pleased, then, the blessings will begin to be poured out upon your life.  I’m not talking about what anyone had showed you to do, but I’m talking about what God had showed you that you need to do for him in your life.  What God has put in your heart to do is what matters and not what anyone told you to do.  And if you do that which God had showed you to do, then it’s like opening a treasure box of God’s blessings, it’s like opening doors of apportunities of God’s blessings for you to receive.      

Mat 6:31  Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? 

Mat 6:32  (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. 

Mat 6:33  But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. 

Now there is an earthly or worldly system of getting what we need for ourselves, but there’s also a Godly or heavenly system of acquiring what we need and desire, and enjoy.  In the earthly system, people acquire things by focusing to getting what they thought they need, or what they want for themselves.  And the results become so obvious, people begin to become greedy, and selfish and covetous.  Because they themselves is in control of what they can hoard for themselves, and gather for themselves, and not God.  And self when left to itself not coupled with any good moral principles from the scriptures is a disaster.  And people in the earthly system become rich for themselves and by themselves, but God is not responsible for them being rich.  In the gospel Luke is a story of a rich man who had amassed great wealth to the point where he didn’t know where to store the riches that he had accumulated for himself. 

Luk 12:18  And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods. 

Luk 12:19  And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry. 

Luk 12:20  But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided? 

Luk 12:21  So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God. 

In these verses, God himself said to the rich man, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee.  This tells us that God was not responsible of the wealth which he had amassed to a very great degree.  Just because a person is rich doesn’t always tell us that God was responsible for them being rich, because here God tells the rich man that he is fool for gathering this great wealth for himself.  And indeed he gathered it only for himself and for himself only, because it says in the following verse.  

Luk 12:21  So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.

The man gathered and kept his many riches only for himself.  And that itself is a lesson for everyone of us, that being selfish is not a good attitude or habbit to make in our lives.  And the Bible said that he was not rich toward God.  

What matters above all else is to be rich toward God.  You may not be rich in this world, but if you are rich toward God, that’s all that counts.  But woe unto you if you be rich in this world but not rich toward God.  Our bank account in this world may be overflowing but what about our heavenly account with God?  Is it full, or zero balance; is it with sufficient funds or insufficient funds? The bible said in,

Mat 6:19  Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: 

Mat 6:20  But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: 

Mat 6:21  For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. 

And in the following verse in LUKE 12:22 Jesus keeps reminding us again and again.  

Luk 12:22  And he said unto his disciples, Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat; neither for the body, what ye shall put on. 

Jesus is saying, don’t even think or worry about the things that you need in this life, because it will be given to you by God, just like the rest of his creation such as the birds in the air and even the grass on the fields.  

And then Jesus tells us what we should "think and worry" about.  He said in,


Mat 6:33  But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. 

And then he keeps reminding us again again in, 

Mat 6:34  Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof. 

What is it that God wants us to do according to the heavenly system of acquiring his blessings?  God wants us to focus on the most important things, and the right things.  God wants us to put our worries and thoughts upon obtaining his Kingdom and his righteousness.  And God’s point is, He is the one who is responsible for making us rich, he is the one who will do the adding and giving of his benefits as we seek and serve him.  And all that God is asking is for, is for you to seek and serve him, and walk uprightly before him.  And it’s God’s job to do the adding and the blessing and rewarding and the the giving of our needs, and that’s if we do not stop seeking and serving and walking uprightly before him.  

And so we find that the blessings comes according to his terms, his will and his word, and his purpose and not by our own terms.  And there’s a reason for it.  God doesn’t want us to become covetous and greedy and hoarders for ourselves just like the rich man in the bible who’s riches did not come from God, which ended up in a mess to where his soul was required by God.  His soul was put in jeopardy for being not rich toward God.

1Ti 6:9  But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. 

1Ti 6:10  For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. 

1Ti 6:11  But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness. 

Jas 4:3  Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts. 

There are people who are lovers of money, that’s all they think about, and worry about, about the next dollar that they could get by hook or by crook.  When Jesus said take no thought of your everyday need, he’s not talking about not having a job or just be lazy or just do nothing to feed yourself and your family.  Because the bible has commanded for everyman to work with his own hands.  And the bible also said, that a man who does not provide for his own is worst than an infidel, someone who has denied the faith, a pagan, an apostate, a heretic.  And that If any would not work neither shall he eat.   

I remember, when I got laid off twice, it would have been easy for me to worry and wring my hands and think "how am I going to do this?".  But my wife and I didn’t do that, because our faith tells us that God will take care of us no matter what happens.  And not only that, there was a time when the car needed a new transmission, we didn’t lose sleep about it, Why?  Because we believe in the promises of God in his word.  Yes, we did what we could do to pay the bills, but we didn’t lose sight of our faith in God that he is able to make everything right.  And God did it according to his word as we believe in him and his word.

Because it says in Psa 84:  no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly. 

So what God is saying is, just keep seeking and believing in me, and don’t worry about the blessings, just keep serving me, and the blessings will come and will be added to you.

Do you remember your job, when all that you’re concern about was to have that job and get paid for the job, and do that and nothing else.  Especially because it was at a time when they were laying off people left and right.  And so you did the best that you can to keep that job, but most of all, you made sure that the bossman is pleased with your job.  And if the bossman tells you that your job needs improvement, there was no reason for you to argue with the bossman.  And so, you work that job to live! and had high hopes to get a raised someday.  And there’s one thing you didn’t do, you didn't ask or tell your bossman to give you a raise.  And there were people who keep bugging their bosses to give them a pay raise, and guess what?  they didn’t get what they asked for;  when really all they had to do was do a real good job, and that will make the bossman smile, and make his heart tender.  We don’t have to worry about the bossman giving us a raise or even giving us a promotion, all we have to do is do a good job, and make the bossman feel proud.  All that we need to do is focus on the job, and do what the boss tells us to do and do it, in the best way we can.

Isn’t it the same way with God? that if you just do what God had shown you or tell you to do that God will add the blessings.  And people sometimes complain when they don’t get a raise from the bossman, when they’ve been doing a sorry job, go to the bathroom a lot, missing a lot of work time, and having too much down time, when there’s a lot of things to do if you just look for it.  And people blame God, God where is my blessing, where’s my raise, where’s my promotion?  Did not God tell Cain  also in,


 Gen 4:7  If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? 


Because Cain did not like the fact that God did not honor his sacrfice with fire from heaven as He did to Abel's sacrifice.  But Cain knew exactly what to do, but he didn't do it.  Cain knew what he ought to have sacrificed before God.  And the blessings of God, as long as keep on seeking him, and serving him, and walking uprightly before him, the blessings of God will come.  And they come as opportunities.  And they come at the time when you’re not even seeking for it, or worrying about it.  They come in the form of open doors of opportunities that God just drops in your way for you to take.  Yes open doors! perhaps a job that is offered you, or available for you to fill, that pays a great sum of money.  And if it’s in the form of great riches or finances, that means that God is trusting you, that you cannot become greedy and selfish and end up forgetting God because of it, and God will make sure that he will be glorified for it for blessing you.  

And sometimes we think that we are the provider but in actuality, God has always been our provider since the very beginning, so that before he created man, everything that man needed was already created for him.  God first made man’s resources before he created him.  And when man sinned against God, God provided the right sacrifice for man to be delivered from his sin.  And the ultimate sacrifice and blessing for us is His Son Jesus Christ, for us to be saved from sin and from the torment of hell and the lake of fire.  And that all we have to do is come to him and submit ourselves to him and believe him.  For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life.