God's Promise Of Forgiveness

God's Promise Of Forgiveness

      The question is asked - “Who shall ascend unto the hill of the Lord?, Or who shall stand in his Holy place?” Psalm 24: 3 Since the fall of mankind in Eden, no one has been found to be qualified to stand, in his own righteousness, before God, because the answer to this question, and requirement is - “He that hath clean hands and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity; nor sworn deceitfully. He shall receive the blessing from the Lord, and righteousness from the God of his salvation.” Psalm 24: 4, 5.

      Only one person has ever qualified to enter the gate of God's holiness, and he alone is righteous among men. He alone has clean hands and a pure heart, and has not lifted up his soul to vanity, nor sworn deceitfully. His name is Jesus of Nazareth, the Christ, the Messiah who came down from God. He alone may enter, in his own righteousness, into the presence of God the Father.

      For God has declared that there is none righteous. “For as it is written, there is none righteous, no not one.” Romans 3: 10. “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” Romans 3: 23

      All of mankind carries a heavy burden on his shoulders, and that burden weigh him down, and causes him shame, and degradation, and if not removed, will send him to hell. That burden on the shoulder of all mankind is sin. Those who continue to carry that heavy burden of sin in their heart, can have no fellowship with God. And since God created man to enjoy his fellowship, and when a man's fellowship with his creator is not a fact of his life, then man is like the beast of the earth that perish. God is not willing that any should perish. He has provided a way by which all men and women, boys and girls, can have the burden of sin removed from them, and their fellowship with him restored.

      Without God's fellowship, men and women, boys and girls, perish; families fall apart; nations and empires crumble. It is almost impossible today to turn on the television or log on to the internet without seeing someone with a gun or weapon in his hand ready to kill, or to witness someone in bed with another person's wife or husband, committing adultery, or hearing filthy blasphemous words being broadcast for all to hear. How could a Holy God have fellowship with that kind of trash?

      I fear for our nation that it may be on the edge of collapse and annihilation, if it's people do not turn from their wicked ways and get back to the business of fellowship with God. Our country, as well as the rest of the world is sick, and may be ready to experience the judgment of God, which has been true of all other nations that have tuned their back on God, But even so, God is merciful and slow to wrath, and he has made provision for all who will accept his offer of salvation. God is more willing to forgive than we are to be forgiven. God has promised us forgiveness and restoration to fellowship with him if we will only accept his terms.

      What are God's terms? They are – to humble ourselves; pray; turn from our wicked ways; seek God; Then God is faithful to keep his covenant with men. God hears; forgives sin; heals; the Lord is merciful, gracious, slow to anger; plenteous in mercy; he remembers sin no more; the lost are found and restored to fellowship with him. God has provided forgiveness to all who will call upon him.

and just to forgive our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

      A well known promise from the word of God which has been repeated and quoted and preached many times, but is truly valid for the salvation of our nation - “If my people which are called by my name, shall humble themselves and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin, and heal their land.” 2Chronicles 7: 14

     “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive our sins, and to cleanse us from all

unrighteousness.” 1 John 1: 9

     “The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy. He will not always chide; neither will he keep his anger forever. He hath not dealt with us according to our iniquity. For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him. As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.”. Psalm 103: 8 -12

      “And they shalt teach no more every man his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, know the Lord; for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, sayeth the Lord; for I will forgive their iniquity; and I will remember their sins no more.” Jeremiah 31: 34

      How wonderful for us to have God remember our sins no more! God has provided a way that his promise of forgiveness may be fulfilled through his only begotten son, the Lord Jesus Christ. Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures, he was buried and rose again the third day, according to the scriptures, he ascended into heaven-and is now our high priest interceding for us. He will come again at God's appointed time to restore all kingdoms and nations to himself.

      Confess, believe, seek God and God's promise of forgiveness will be a reality in each of our lives.

The Awesome Power Of God's Love And Mercy

The

Awesome

Power

Of

God's

Love

And

Mercy

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The Awesome Power Of God's Love And Mercy


      The raging sea, with its' resounding roar, battering the rugged, rocky, coastline; the roll of the thunder echoing across the valleys, lending a message of impending danger to man and beast, and warning them to seek cover; and the fearsome lightning streaking across the heavens, and striking where it may and destroying all in its' path, as well as the mighty force of wind, hurricanes, tornadoes, and earthquakes which tear up forests and make havoc of homes and property, speak to us of the mighty power and omnipotence of our awesome God and creator.

      When we observe the rage, anger, and power being displayed in these forces in the natural world, we are reminded from the scriptures, that God is exceedingly angry over sin every day; and if he chose to pour out his rage and anger on us as sinners, we would most surely be without hope and most miserable. “God judgeth the righteous, and God is angry with the wicked every day.” Psalm 7: 11.

      But God is loving, kind and merciful, and is not willing that any should perish. He could, if he chose to to do so, in his exceeding wrath and anger over sin, use his power to destroy the world and cleanse it from all sin; but instead, as he restrains and limits the forces of nature, and sets the boundary of the raging seas, and allows it to come thus far and no more; and as he controls the thunder and lightning, and earthquakes, and natural disasters, so as to preserve man and beast, that men and women, boys and girls, might come to repentance and learn of him and be saved, he withholds from us his rage and anger, and pours out his mercy upon us. “The Lord is gracious, and full of compassion; slow to anger. and of great mercy.” Psalm 145: 8.

      We see the great wrath and anger of God poured out on his only begotten son, the Lord Jesus Christ, on Calvary's cross for our sins, that he might pay our sin debt for each of us. We see his great power revealed in the resurrection of Jesus as the first begotten from the dead for our justification, and we see his everlasting love and care for us in his ascension into heaven, and even now as our great high priest.

      We, the inhabitants of earth become severely angry at times, with each other, and with our circumstances, and sometimes our anger turns into rage, and when this happens, we lose control, unless we are walking closely with the Lord. When anger turns to rage, this can lead to murder and gross sins.
      “Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath, for the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.” James 1: 19, 20.
 
      “Be ye angry, and sin not. Let not the sun go down upon your wrath. Neither give place to the devil. Ephesians 4: 26,27.

      “And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us, an offering and a     sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savor. Ephesians 5: 2.

      May we, as Christians,, strive to walk In love, and with the help and grace of God avoid extreme anger and rage that will lead to sin.

God's Promise Of Love

God's Promise Of His Love

      A few days ago we celebrated Valentine's day, a day dedicated to expressions of love. Many cards were sent, many gifts were purchased and given. Many tokens of love were undoubtedly received, and many commitments of love promised at the altar. When you sent that card, or letter, or gift to your sweetheart, your wife, your husband, your children, or parents, to say I love you; when you made that commitment at the altar, just what did you mean when you said, “I love you”? How do you define love? What is love?

      The dictionary defines love as - a strong, complex emotion causing one to appreciate; delight in; and crave the presence or possession of another; and to please or promote the welfare of the other; direct affection or attachment, specifically, such feeling between husband and wife; or lover and sweetheart; sexual passion or the gratification of it; a very great interest or fondness. This seems to be the worldly definition of love commonly known among us who live in a materialistic society; but there is a much more abiding form of love than we can ever imagine – that is, God's definition of love.

     What is God's definition of love? We find it expounded to us in the holy scriptures – charity, or another name for love. The apostle Paul explains the way of love: “Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass or a tinkling cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing; and though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing. Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself; is not puffed up; doth not behave itself unseemingly; seeketh not its' own; is not easily provoked; thinketh no evil, rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; beareth all things; believeth all things; hopeth all things; endureth all things. Charity never faileth; but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail, whether there be tongues, they shall cease, whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.” 

     1 Corinthians 13: 1-8 “And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three, but the greatest of these is charity.” 1 Cdorinthians 13: 13.

      This is God's kind of love, and this is the kind of love we ought to be exhibiting one to another. This is truly a Godly kind of love that we ought to have for one another, whether it be our brothers and sisters in Christ; our husbands, wives, sweethearts, children, or parents. God's promise of love for his children far surpasses anything that we could ever know here on earth. To love the way God loves us, we must completely crucify ourselves, and think only of the object of our love.

      Christ our Savior allowed himself to be crucified for us, having us completely on his mind, that we might be saved and have everlasting life. God has promised us that, no matter how much we have sinned, no matter how far away from him we have wandered, he loves us with an everlasting love.

     “For the mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed; but my kingdom shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee.” Isaiah 54: 10.

     “The Lord hath appeared of old unto me saying, yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love; therefore with loving kindness have I drawn thee.” Jeremiah 31: 3 -4a

     “As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you; continue ye in my love. Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends” John 15: 9, 13. “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.” John 3: 16. “In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten son into the world that we might live through him.” 1 John 4: 9.

     “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or disasters, or persecutions, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, for thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us., For I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, not things present, nor things to come, nor height, not depth, nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8: 35-39.

     God has loved us, and will love us forever with an everlasting love; therefore, let us seriously consider what an offer of love God has presented to each of us, and if we have not already done so, let us accept it with praise and gratitude.

God's Promises To Us When - We Are Confused

God's Promises To Us When - We Are Confused

     Many people in the world today are walking in spiritual darkness, and living in a state of gross confusion, even though, seemingly, they may be quite confident that all is well with their soul, and eventually the land of milk and honey will be reached, although they don't know how. So by desperately striving, and searching for truth wherever it may be found, they hope to attain peace on earth, and a place called heaven at last.

      People of the world have heard, and listened to many voices – politicians; preachers; evangelists; educators; scientists; philosophers; and even fools like me, yet, who or what is to be believed? Who is telling the truth? Who really knows the truth? There are politicians, serving in positions of leadership and authority, who promise great things for the people whom they are supposed to represent, yet, in many cases, they are discovered to be liars, crooks, and self seekers.

     There are preachers, and evangelists occupying pulpits throughout the world who are preaching a good works – social gospel, and teaching about a God that they know only by name, and by the theology which they have studied at some secular university, or so called Christian seminary. These, are those who have never truly been “born again”, and do not have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, who is God, manifested in human flesh. How can these prophets of God, so called, lead their flock into God's light and green pastures, when they themselves have never quenched their thirst from the still waters of God's truth, - from that fountain that never runs dry?

      There are educators, and philosophers teaching in our schools and universities, and even in some, so called, Christian seminaries, who dissect the word of God, piece by piece, word by word, to see if they can disqualify the infallible word of God from being the absolute, universal truth for all mankind. Scientists present their hypothesis and try to prove the non-existence of an intelligent creator of all things. Is it any wonder that we find our world today in such spiritual chaos and confusion?

     It is easy to become confused by all the ideas that are presented to us, especially if one is not securely grounded in the word of God; however, God has promised us a remedy for the darkness and confusion that tend to enslave so many.

     “For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace as in all churches of the saints.” 1Corinthians 14:33.

     “In thee O Lord, do I put my trust, let me never be put to confusion.” Psalm 71:1.

     “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not, and it shall be given him.” James 1:5.

     “I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go. I will guide thee with mine eye.” Psalm 32:8.

     “And I will bring the blind by a way that they know not; I will lead them in paths that they have not known. I will make darkness light before them, and crooked things straight. These things will I do unto them and not forsake them .” Isaiah 42: 16.

     “Then spake Jesus again unto them saying, I am the light of the world. He that followeth me shalt not walk in darkness but have the light of life.” John 8:12.

     It is needless for men and women, boys and girls, to be engrossed in darkness and live a life of confusion when we have a Father who loves us, cares for us, and imparts his salvation to us through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Let the word of God be your spiritual compass, and it will lead you safely home.

God's Promise To Us When - We Are Impatient

God’s Promise To Us – When We Are Impatient

     I want it now! This is the attitude of most of us when there is something that we greatly desire and long for. This attitude is called impatience. Impatience, if we are not careful, can get us into situations which we would rather not be in. We often see something advertised which we desire and perhaps need, but instead of saving and waiting patiently until we can afford to purchase it, we ignore the warnings of God when he tells us to “boast not ourselves of tomorrow, for we know not what a day will bring forth” and go ahead and get ourselves in debt to have it now, for we are impatient, and do not want to wait upon the Lord to keep his promise to give us the desires of our heart, and provide for all our needs in his own good time.

      We sin when we presume upon God to give us enough time on earth to fulfill all the promises and commitments we have made, to pay our debt and keep our promise. One debt leads to another, and before we know it we find ourselves in adverse circumstances, where, unless God intervenes, and performs a miricale, we are trapped for the rest of our lives.

      Young people, particularly, are very impatient when they rush into a choice of a life companion, and get involved in sexual or marriage relationships which God has not planned for them. They fail to wait upon God to guide them and give them the proper leadership in chosing a lifetime partner. Many young people today are trying to build their lives on sinking sand, rather than on the solid rock, which is Jesus Christ.

      Impatience with one another, particularly between husbands and wives many times lead to divorce and breaking up of families. God wants his children to be kind, affectionate, and patient with one another. We do not need to push and shove, and scramble to aquire the things and situations which we think are so important to us, for God has promised to give us all the desires of our heart and provide for all our needs, according to his riches in glory.

      We can make ourselves very discouraged and disheartened when we brood over missed opportunitiers and are anxious to obtain, but God has given us many wonderful promises to combat our impatience and anxiety. We must believe to see the goodness of God, and wait on him and be of good courage.

      “I had fainted unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait on the Lord, be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart, wait I say on the Lord.” Psalm 27: 13, 14.

      “Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for him. Fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass. Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil. For evildoers shall be cut off: but those who wait upon the Lord shall inherit the earth. “ Psalm 37: 7, 9

      “To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, eternal life.” Romans 2: 7.

      We must not 'rush in where angels fear to tread'. We must not run ahead of God with our impatient attitude, and fall into traps set for us by Satan. Prudent men and women ponder and foresee the evil and flee from it. If we allow impatience to get the better of us , we will fall into the pit of regret in the end, for oftentimes in the end, we will come to realise that that for which we have been impatient to obtain was not in the best interest for us, and after all, did not satisfy. We must learn to be patient, and wait upon God to act in our lives, to lead and guide us in making proper decisions, and trust in his love and goodness for us.

     Live by faith in God, and believe he will give us the things that we desire and ask him for if he knows that it is right and good for us and will bring glory to himself.

God's Promises To us When - We Are Sick

God's Promise To Us When  -   We Are Sick

      Once there was a place called Eden, according to the Holy word of God, wherein was planted the tree of life. God created a man, made in God's own image, whose name was Adam, and from Adam's rib he made woman whose name was Eve, and God gave them Eden for their paradise home, wherein life, health, and happiness did prevail – no death, no sickness, no hard times. No evil was present there while God walked among them.

      “And the Lord formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul. And the Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden, and there he put the man whom he had formed. And out of the ground made the Lord to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food, . The tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil.” Genesis 2: 7, 8, 9.

      “And the Lord God took the man and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it, and the Lord commanded the man, saying – of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.” Gen 2: 15, 16. 17.

      “And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs and closed up the flesh instead thereof, and the rib which the Lord God had taken from man made he a woman, and brought her unto the man.” Genesis 2: 21,22.

     There was not known to Adam and Eve in Eden, death, sickness, sorrow, or hard times, and lack of fellowship with God until, the fall of man, when Eve chose to follow the advice of of the serpent, who beguiled her, and she ate of the tree which God had forbidden, resulting in the penalty of death for disobedience.

      “Now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made, and he said unto the woman, yea, hath God said, ye shalt not eat of every tree of the garden?” Genesis 3: 1. “And the serpent said unto the woman, ye shall not surely die, for God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil. And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her, and he did eat.” Genesis 3: 4,5,6.

      “And the Lord God said unto the serpent, because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field. Upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life, and I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed: it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel. Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception, in sorrow shalt thou bring forth children, and thy desire shalt be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee. And unto Adam he said, because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree of which I commanded thee, saying, thou shalt not eat of it, cursed is the ground for thy sake, in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life; thorns also and thistles shalt it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field. In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return to the ground, for out of it wast thou taken, for dust thou art and unto dust thou shalt return.” Genesis 3: 14-19.

     Thus entered into the world of men and women, that which they had never known before - sickness, followed eventually by death, and condemnation, and separation from fellowship with God who is the very source of life and health. Henceforth we are all subject to sickness, and eventually death, of our body while on earth, and eternal separation of our soul from God unless we are born again by receiving The Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior.

     What are God's promises to us when we are sick? As a result of Adam's and Eve's disobedience, the whole human race, past, present, and future became infected with a terrible disease known as sin. The outcome of sin is sickness and death, and eternal separation from God in Hell, unless a cure is found and applied

     The great physician, the lord Jesus Christ has the cure for the disease of sin, his own blood shed on the cross, and freely offers it to all, who by faith will receive it. “Ask and ye shall receive, seek and ye shall find, knock and it shall be opened unto you”.

     “Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name. Bless the Lord , O my soul, and forget not all his benefits Who forgiveth all thine iniquities, who healeth all thy diseases ; who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with loving kindness and tender mercies; who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle's.” Psalm 103 1-5.

      Whatever the nature of our sickness, whether it be a physical problem or a spiritual one, we can call upon the great physician for help, and he has promised to help us.

“When the even was come, they brought unto him many that were possessed with devils, and he cast out the spirits with his words, and healed all that were sick that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying: himself took our infirmities, and bare our sickness. “ Matthew 8: 16, 17.

      “Is any sick among you? :Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him. Anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord, and the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.” James 5: 14, 15.

     It is always God's will to forgive our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness if we call upon him in faith, claiming his mercy, and confess our sins, and ask his forgiveness in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and give us the assurance of eternal life, and a home in heaven.

     God is able to heal all our physical aliments as well, if it be his perfect will to do so in each individual's situation. However, sometimes God has his reasons for not granting healing to a particular individual, his reasons being known only to himself. In that case we have an even more precious promise from God.

      “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.” Psalm 23: 4.

      Let each of us today, when we are beset with sin, or sick with a physical disease, seek out the great physician, the Lord Jesus Christ, and ask that his will be accomplished in our lives.

The Hidden Enemy Of Our Soul

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Thought for Today - May  10, 2024  

The Hidden Enemy Of Our Soul  

By: Robert A. Searles

 There is an invisible, unseen enemy that is ever present with us in the world today, and is the destroyer of individuals, families, and nations, and if allowed to go unchecked will bring each of us down to the lowest hell, disgrace, and degradation. It is one of the besetting sins which is inherent in each and every one of us from our birth and remains with us through our unregenerate natural state. It is the root cause of most of the misery, wars, bloodshed and turmoil that we encounter in our present day world.

This diabolical enemy is very subtitle, and can assume many different identities. It was present in the heart of Lucifer, God's created angel of light, when he became jealous of God and was expelled from Heaven because of his EVIL AMBITION.

“How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How art thou cut down to the ground, which did weaken the nations! For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north. I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most high. Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit.”Isaiah 14: 12-15

 
It was found also in the heart and mind of Eve when she was beguiled by the serpent in the garden of Eden.
“And when the women saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was PLEASANT TO THE EYES, and a tree to be DESIRED to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also to her husband with her and he did eat.” Gen. 3: 6.

The same enemy overwhelmed David in an unguarded moment, and enticed him to seek after and commit adultery with Bathsheba and eventually murder her husband, which later caused him grief and the death of his son, Absalom.

“And it came to pass in an eventide, that David arose from off his bed, and walked upon the roof of the King's house: and from the roof he saw a woman washing herself; and the woman was BEAUTIFUL TO LOOK UPON. And David sent and inquired after the woman, and one said, is not this Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite? And David sent messengers and took her; and she came in unto him, and he lay with her; for she was purified from her uncleanness, and she returned to her house. And the woman conceived, and sent and told David, and said, I am with child.” 2 Samuel 11: 2-5

 
Something beautiful to look upon awakened the enemy of David's soul, an unlawful SEXUAL DESIRE for that which was morally off limits to him.

This enemy of our soul is always at work, to some degree, in all of us, and most of the time we do not recognize it as we should, as the origin of sin. It may be known as a passionate, overmastering desire or appetite, an excessive longing or desire for objects or situations for which we have no right to desire or expect, or a craving for power, or an enviable lifestyle, evil ambition, strong overwhelming sexual desire. Whatever we may call it, God our Father calls it by its' rightful name, the sin of the flesh – LUST.

We are warned in the scriptures to be aware of, and to flee from our enemy - the lust of the flesh which bringeth forth death.

“Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him. Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: but every man is tempted when he is drawn away of his own lust and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin,: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.” James 1: 12-15

 
“Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart.” 2 Timothy 2: 22.
Let us all henceforth, take heed to God's warning and be aware of and flee from our enemy -  THE LUST OF THE FLESH

Telehelp Publications Christian Literature Ministry

                                   Psalm 26:7

God's Promises To Us When - We Are Filled With Longings

God's Promises To Us When – We Are filled with Longings

What are the longings and desires of your heart today? Is it for improved health; long life; for more friends; for a more secure future; for prosperity; for a better job; to find your life's companion; to get married and have a family; To complete your education; are these and perhaps many more the major longings of your heart today?

These are the most common kinds of longings and desires which we all share, and if put into the right perspective, they are all good longings and desires in themselves. But there is something that we all ought to crave and long for more than anything else, and that is – our eternally secure relationship with God our heavenly Father. For the truth of the whole matter is, if all of our carnal desires were to be fulfilled, they are temporal, and can satisfy for only a short time, for what is our life but a vapor which soon passes away and is eventually gone?

We ought to be longing to know God in the fullest sense of the word through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. We ought to delight ourselves in the Lord, and share with him those things that we most earnestly desire and long for.

The Lord has promised to plant in our heart the right kinds of longings and desires, and to bring them to fruition if we will delight ourselves in him. “Delight thyself also in the Lord and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.” Psalm 37: 4. God has promised not to withhold any good thing from those that walk uprightly. “For theLord God is a sun and shield: the Lord will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly.” Psalm 84: 11.

God promises to satisfy our mouth with good things and to renew our youth. “Who satsifieth thy mouth with good things, and reneweth thy youth like ther eagle.” Psalm 103: 5

God already knows the things that are most needful to us, and he has promissed to supply all of our needs, and give us the grace we need for every situation, if we will seek him first, all these things shall be added to us. “And seek ye not what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink, neither be ye of a doubtful mind. For all these things do the nations of the world seek after, and you Father knoweth ye have need of those things, but rather seek ye the kingdom of God and all these things shall be added unto you.” Luke 12: 29-31.

For he satisfieth the longing soul and filleth the hungry soul with goodness.” Psalm 107:9

We have a very rich heavenly Father who is more than willing to share his bounty with us if we will approach him in faith through the Lord Jesus Christ. Let us go to him today with all our longings and desires, and trust that he will grant to us all that will be good for us and bring glory to him.

God's Promise When - We Are Anxious

God's Promise When – We Are Anxious

     To be anxious is to be overly concerned and troubled about issues and events in our lives over which we may have very little control. We tend to be anxious about many things, including our health; our money and finances; our jobs; our family; friends, and loved ones. We worry about things that we have no power to change. It is very difficult, at times, not to be anxious while waiting for a phone call from the physician’s office or laboratory, to be told the results of a medical test or procedure for ourselves, or for someone in our family whom we love.

     How shall we meet next month's budget for our home, or business? How shall we feed our family on such a meager income? How shall we prepare for our family's future? How shall we pay for our children's education? How! How! How! Shall we accomplish all these things? We beat our heads against the wall, so to speak, searching for answers to these and many other questions. We are anxious, and if this anxiety gets out of control, it can destroy our physical and mental health, and cause us to lose our Christian testimony, and sin against God.

     We sin against God when we allow ourselves to worry. Someone has said: “when we are worrying and are anxious, we are not trusting God, and if we are truly trusting God, we do not worry”.

     We are told to give all our burdens and anxieties to the Lord. “Cast thy burdens upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee, he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.” Psalm 55: 22

     “But I the Lord thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, fear not, I will help thee.” Isaiah 41; 13.

     God has promised to supply all our needs, and to deliver us from trouble. Why should we be fearful and anxious when we have such a benevalent heavenly father?

     “Therefore, I say unto you, take no thought for your life, what you shall eat, or what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than ramient? Come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn of me, for I am meek and lowly in heart; and ye shall find rest for your soul. For my yoke is easy, and my burden light.” Matthew 6: 25 – 11: 28, 29, 30.

     “Be careful for nothing, but in every thing with prayer and suppolication, with thanksgiving, let your request be made known unto God, and the peace of God which passeth all understanding shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4: 6, 7

     Therefore, when we find ourselves becoming over anxious, let us: “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart, and lean not unto our own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.” Proverbs 3: 5, 6.

God's Promises When - We Are Persecuted.

God's Promise To Us When – We Are Persecuted

“Yea, And all that will live godly in Christ Jesus Shall suffer persecution” 2 Timothy 3: 12.

     Whatever comes our way, in the realm of trials, temptations, and persecution, we are assured from the Holy Scriptures, that God sometimes wills and allows those things for our good, and perhaps for the good of those with whom we have an influence in our daily lives, so that, perhaps they may witness our testimony of steadfastness for the Lord, and receive Christ and be saved.

     The spread of the gospel, was greatly expedited by the persecution of the early martyrs, in the early days of the church after the ascension of the Lord into heaven,

     Joseph was one who suffered persecution at the hands of his brothers when they became envious of him, and sold him into slavery; but this was meant for good for the saving of his family when they were suffering a time of famine in their own land. “But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive.'” Genesis 50: 20.

      Jesus has promised us that there are great rewards in heaven waiting for those who suffer persecution for the sake of righteousness here on earth. “Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when men shall revile you, and persecute you and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely for my sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad; for great is your reward in heaven; for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you. “ Matthew 5: 10-12.

     In the days ahead, some of us Christians may have to suffer some severe persecution, if the Lord does not return soon. Because of our not being “politically correct”, and by not denying our faith in Christ; the absolute authority of the word of God; and the desire for righteous living, - in the opinion of unbelievers and wicked persons, we who hold to the truth of the Word of God are the wrong doers and deserve to be punished and persecuted for righteousness sake. Even so, let us, if and when we are called upon to suffer persecution for Christ, remember the promise of God, that the wicked and evil workers of iniquity who bring persecution upon us will soon be cut down, and those who belong to Christ shall prevail and be more than conquerors with him. “We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed. Always bearing about in the body the dying of he Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body. For we which live are always delivered unto death for Jesus' sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh. So then, death worketh in us, but life in you. “ 2 Corinthians 4: 8-12.

      “And who is he that will harm you, if ye be followers of that which is good? But and if ye suffer for righteousness sake, happy are ye, and be not afraid of their terror, neither be troubled. 1 Peter 35: 13-14

     Let us not be boastful and over confident in our own strength in the time of persecution, as Peter did during the trial of Christ when he boasted that he would never forsake the Lord, but let us pray for one another that we may find grace in the time of need, and in the power of God remain faithful and steadfast in our faith.