“For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.”

- Luke 2:11

These words were spoken to the shepherds by the angel of the Lord on the night Jesus Christ was born. What great news this is, not only to them but to you and I. We once were in this world,”having no hope, and without God in the world.” Eph. 2:12. However God in His love provided exactly what was necessary for our hopeless condition. He sent His Son, gave His Son, offered His Son as the payment, or sacrifice for our sin. We must accept by faith what Christ has already done for us that we could have a right relationship with God. We come this week celebrating the birth, life, and yes death and resurrection of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! The greatest gift ever given to sinful man is the precious Son of God. If you don’t know Him as your personal Savior, call upon Him now, believing upon Him with your whole heart and you can receive the gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord! May the Lord Bless you and your family this Christmas season.

“…but as far me and my house we will serve the Lord.”

- Joshua 24:15

This last part of Joshua 24:15 is part of Joshua’s last words to the children of Israel. Joshua had been a faithful leader to Israel in leading them into the promised land. He is now challenging them to choose who they were going to serve. Serve the gods, the pagan gods that their fathers had served or the gods of the Amorites in whose land ye dwell. Then Joshua makes a great statement. “… but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” He said that he and his family had made their choice. They were going to serve the Lord.

We all make choices every single day. The best choice that we can make after we are saved is to serve the Lord. A person can be saved and still not serve the Lord. Ephesians 2:8-10 tells us, “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of your selves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.” These verse very clearly state that we are saved by grace (God’s unmerited, undeserved favor) through faith. And salvation is not of works. We cannot ever or could we do enough to earn or deserve salvation. However after we are saved God desires that we serve Him daily in this life!

Joshua in His final words to the nation of Israel declared that as far as his house or household was concerned they had determined to serve the Lord. Have you made that determination? You see it all starts with first being saved . Then and only then can we serve Him! Dear Lord help each of us determine in our hearts that we are going to serve you! God Bless each of you as we journey through this life together all for the Glory of God!

“In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.”

- 1 Thessalonians 5:18

We are all truly Blessed! From the youngest to the oldest we are all Blessed. We may not have everything that we want. We may not have everything going the way that we think it should. But we are Blessed! Our scripture for this week says, “In everything give thanks. Not in some things, not just when everything is coming up roses. But in everything. That means all things all the time. According to 2 Timothy 3: 2 tells us that in the last days people would be, “ lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, UNTHANKFUL, unholy…”

We live in a time that is so fast paced that we sometimes forget to give thanks. However in everything we are to give thanks. We may say, “Well why should we give thanks for everything? I’m so glad you asked. The answer is found in the last part of the verse. “For this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” That should settle everything right there. We are in everything to give thanks for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning every single one of us! We need to always give thanks for everything. We are Blessed and we can never thank Him enough for all that He does and provides for us!

Dear Lord help us to have a thankful heart for every single thing for we know that this is your will. Thank you for everything, Amen.

“The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand forever.”

- Isaiah 40:8.

There are very few things that we have at our disposal that we can rely upon. Some say that there are two things that we can count on and that is death and taxes. That may be true. However there is one thing that we definitely can  depend upon on a daily basis, and that’s the Word of God. Isaiah, inspired by the Holy Spirit, tells us that things around us that we can clearly see are not permanent. The grass, the flowers etc. However Gods Word will stand forever. God doesn’t change, Jesus , His Son doesn’t change, the Holy Spirit doesn’t change, and His Word doesn’t change.

His Word stands forever. We can count upon His Word. Everything else may be altered but His Word is “forever settled in heaven.”Psalms 119:89. All scripture is given by inspiration of God. His Word is so precious and is truth. When everything else falls, dries up, or becomes outdated, His Word will still be standing! His Word has and will stand the test of time. From generation to generation His Word has changed countless numbers of lives. His Word forever will stand when all else fails. We are to study His Word, be doers of His Word, be witnesses of His Word. His Word is “quick and powerful and sharper than any two edged sword…” Hebrews 4:12. His Word will get the job done. How precious is the Word of God.

Dear Lord help us to dig deeper in your precious Word, let it be a lamp unto our feet, and a light unto our path, and let us hide the Word of God in our hearts that we might not sin against you. Bless each of you today as you read and study His Word. Amen.

“Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest."

- Joshua 1:9

What a tremendous word from the Lord unto Joshua. Joshua had just been commissioned to fill some very big shoes. Moses, who had led the children of Israel out of bondage in Egypt, had died. Now Joshua has been chosen by the Lord to carry on with leading the children of Israel into the promised land. The Lord gave to Joshua instructions that would strengthen him for the task before him. The journey would not be easy. There would be many obstacles that would have to be overcome. However the Lord promised Joshua that just like He had been with Moses He would be with him. He wouldn’t fail him nor forsake him. (Josh. 1:5.) The Lord challenged Joshua to be strong and of a good courage.

Boy can we learn some things out of the Book of Joshua that will be a great benefit to us in our daily walk with the Lord. With the Lord on our side we really don’t have anything to worry about! He then tells Joshua not to be dismayed. In the original Hebrew language, the word dismayed means, to be broken or cast down. When we see trouble on the horizon, we can become fearful or anxious. The Lord is instructing Joshua not to become fearful, broken, cast down at the prospect of trouble. The Lord assured Joshua, that He, the Lord thy God is with him no matter where he goes. Wherever Joshua went, the Lord promised him that He would be with him. I pray that we all realize that each of us that are truly born again, have the same promise. In Hebrews 13:5 He tells us, “ Let your conversation be without covetousness: and be content with such things as ye have: for He hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.” What a tremendous Word from the Lord to each and every one of His children!

“Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth.”

- Psalms 124:8

There are some things in this life that we may not be certain of. However there is one thing that we can be assured of and that is the Word of God. His Word is truth. We can depend upon, rely upon His Word.

The Word of God is so important in our lives. Without hearing the Word of God we wouldn’t have faith. Romans 10:17 says, “So then faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the Word of God.” The way that we can know anything about God and His love for us is in the Word of God.

Psalms 124:8 tells us that our help is in the name of the Lord. We daily need help. We need the Lords help every single day! Our help is in Him, in His name. Our friends, our families, our acquaintances may try their best to help us during trials that we may face but ultimately our help is in and through the Lord. There is power in His name. There is comfort in His name. There is healing in His name. And most importantly there is eternal salvation in and through His name. Jesus means Saviour, and He is exactly that. What a Savior! The last part of Psalms 124:8 states, “ who made heaven and earth.”

Creation was by God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Ghost. The Trinity. God made, spoke into existence the heaven and the earth. He is God. Just think, He that did all of these things is our help. Our help is in his name. Rest assured when we call upon Him with a clean heart He hears us. David in writing many of the Psalms stated that he called upon the Lord and the Lord heard him and answered him. In Hebrews 4:16. “ Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need “ Aren’t you glad that our help is in His name. He is right there when we call upon Him. Bless His wonderful name! Amen.

“For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.”

- Romans 15:4

The word of God, penned down by individuals that were inspired by the Holy Spirit is so precious. It was written many years ago and was given for our benefit. May I say that the Word of God is essential for our salvation. Romans 10:17 says, "So then faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the Word of God.” When we hear the Word of God, God in the person of the Holy Spirit will reveal that truth to us. We then can act upon that truth, by trusting (having faith) in what he says. It was written, according to this verse for our learning. Sound doctrine is Gods Word and what His Word says. We must learn, allow the Holy Spirit to teach us the scriptures. The purpose is that we may have hope. Not in what mans opinion or thought is, but in the truth of Gods Word. Let me encourage you to study the Word of God and do what His Word says. That is obedience. We certainly have a treasure, and it’s the Bible, the Word of God! Amen!

“Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else.”

- Isaiah 45:22

What a wonderful verse of scripture. There are many people that are searching for something to fill avoid, an emptiness that they feel in their heart and soul. Many turn to things that can never satisfy that need within them. As we open the precious Word of God, we find real answers to this great need. We realize through scriptures that “all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” Where do we look? Where do we go? Who can help? The Lord calls upon us to Look unto Him. Look unto Him and be saved. Acts 4:12 tells us that “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” Jesus Christ is the only means of our salvation. We must turn away from sin and turn unto God. This is repentance. When we believe on the finished work of Christ, we are trusting Him for salvation. He makes us a new creature. (Read 2 Corinthians 5:17) So if you are reading this “Verse of the week,” and you are looking for peace, joy, and satisfaction, you will find that in Christ and in Christ alone. Our verse in Isaiah 45:22 tells us where to look. The Lord says, “Look unto me.” Look to Him for your need. Then the verse says, “…and be ye saved.” Man’s most pressing need is salvation. God in His love and mercy calls upon to Look unto Him and be saved. This salvation is for everyone. Anyone that hears the Word of God, and is convinced that they are a sinner, can call upon the name of the Lord and be saved! Romans 10:13 tells us that, “Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord, shall be saved.” Call upon Him now. Trust in what he has already done for you. Call upon Him and be saved. Then tell someone about it. Tell them what the Lord has done for you! Amen!

“Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths.”

- Proverbs 3:5-6

This coming Sunday at Mt. Vernon Baptist Church we are recognizing our group of graduating High School Seniors. This is something that as Pastor I really look forward to. It’s with a heart full of gratitude, excitement, and anticipation that I have for these students. We’ve seen them over the years preparing for this milestone in their lives! This week’s verse is very familiar to almost any person that has or ever will spend time studying Gods Word.  Think of the very fist word of Proverbs 3:5. “Trust “  What does this word mean? What does this mean to me? In the original Hebrew language it means, “to lean on, trust, be confident”. The challenge is for each of us, regardless of what age we are. Trust Him, lean upon Him, have confidence in Him. In John 15:5, Jesus said in the last part of that verse,” for without me ye can do nothing.” We need to get a good hold on what this verse says. Without Him, our hopes, dreams, desires, (that are in Gods will) can never come to pass. God has a perfect plan for our lives. A plan that will not only be a great blessing and benefit to us personally, but will also bring honor and glory unto Him. It all begins in trusting, leaning upon, having full confidence in Him, and Him alone! And we are to do this with ALL our heart. Completely, totally, trust Him. By the way He knows best. He knows the beginning, the ending, and everything in between.

His word then tells us that we are to “lean not unto thine own understanding.” In Isaiah 55:8-9 His word says, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are me ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.”

As we ponder Proverbs 3:6, He tells us,  “ In ALL thy ways acknowledge Him…” Not just in part of our ways but in ALL our ways we are to acknowledge Him. We are to “know, to know “. (In the original Hebrew language) He is to be known in ALL our ways. Our decisions that we make, the directions that we take. If we will trust in Him with ALL of our heart and not lean unto our own understanding, while in ALL our ways acknowledging Him, we have this promise to close out Proverbs 3:6, “and He shall direct thy paths.” To have God to direct our paths tells me that He will never lead us or take us in a path that is not in His divine plan for our lives! What a Blessing. So to everyone that might read this verse of the week, May we ALL put Proverbs 3:5-6 into our daily lives! God Bless you today and to all those graduating High School or College, may the Lord Bless you and keep you in His care always is my prayer. Amen.

“Pray without ceasing.”

- 1 Thessalonians 5:17

This Thursday is set aside as the National Day of Prayer. We, as believers in Christ, have been blessed with the opportunity to pray. We are told in the book of Hebrews to “Come boldly to the throne of grace.” What a privilege it is to pray. What a blessing it is to pray. Jesus disciples asked for Him to teach them to pray. Prayer is one of the tools that we as believers have that is an aid in our daily walk with the Lord. This week as we focus on the needs that are all around us, may we know that the Lord hears and answers prayers. Sometimes it seems that the needs are overwhelming. We think about our families and the great need there. We think about our communities, our nation, our churches, the leaders of our nation, our world and all the needs. Nothing is too difficult for God. Give it to Him. He tells us in His Word, to cast all our care upon Him for He cares for us.

Dear Lord, please help us to fully surrender everything unto you. Help us to realize that you and you alone are the answer to our hearts desire. Bless your name for your faithfulness unto each one of us! Amen.

“And He said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.”

- Mark 16:15

Don’t you love sharing good news with others? It may be something concerning your family, a job promotion, an upcoming addition to the family. It could be a wedding engagement, a move into a new home. It could be a vast array of things. Don’t you just love telling people about it? Great! We have the best news ever to share if we are a child of God. We just this past Sunday met, celebrating the fact of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. After His resurrection He told the women who visited His tomb, finding it empty, to go and tell His disciples that they should go into Galilee and there they would see Him. (Matt. 28:10.) We too are to go and tell. Tell others the fact that God loved us so much that He sent His son, Jesus into this world to die for our sin. (John 3:16) He gave His only begotten Son, that if we would believe on Him we wouldn’t perish, but have everlasting life. Now that’s good news! How Will others ever know unless we “Go and Tell” them? In 1 Corinthians 15:1-4 tells us what the Gospel (good news, tidings, word: Original Greek word meaning) consists of. It’s that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the scriptures.” That’s the “Good News “ that’s what we have the opportunity to go and tell. The best news ever!!!

Dear Lord, thank you for loving us, dying for us, rising again that we too might live. Thank you for the good news that changes our lives. That gives unto us eternal life! Thank you and praise your wonderful Name!

“Why seek ye the living among the dead? He is not here but is risen:…”

- Luke 24:6

The resurrection of Jesus Christ is utmost importance to the Christian faith. We celebrate this week not only the death of our Savior( He died for our sins according to the scriptures 1 Corinthians 15:3) but we celebrate the fact that he rose again! If it were not for His resurrection, His death would be useless. He is risen from the grave. Through His death, burial, and resurrection we have not only forgiveness of ours sins but become possessors of Eternal Life! Hallelujah! Praise His Wonderful Name! Without His resurrection our faith would be in vain and we still would be in ours sins condemned before God! Take time this week to reflect upon the price our Lord paid for our sins and the importance of His resurrection as described in 1 Corinthians chapter 15. Because He lives we live also!

Dear Lord. Thank you for loving us. Thank you for dying for our sins. Thank you for willingly giving yourself in our place to pay a price we couldn’t pay. Thank you for the resurrection and the power of the resurrection. Thank you for eternal life that we, that are saved, already have. We love you and praise your Wonderful Name! Amen!

“Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.”

- John 15:13

As we read this verse from the 15th chapter of the Gospel of John, it really puts things in perspective. All through the Word of God there is a message concerning Gods love toward us. God always has loved us. Even before the world was created, God loved us. He demonstrated His love for us in that, “while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8) In our verse this week we are reminded that there is no greater love than for a man to lay down his life for his friends. Jesus Christ did exactly that for each and every one of us. In John 10:17-18, Jesus said, “ Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again. No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father.” Jesus himself laid down His life for the sin of the entire world! There is no greater love than this. As we approach Easter, the day that we as believers celebrate the resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, let’s remember the price that He paid in order for us to be redeemed! He freely and deliberately laid down His life for His friends, you and I. What love He has for us! God Bless each of you.

Dear Lord thank you for loving us even when we were unlovely. While we were sinners you died for us. We thank you, praise you, and worship you, for you alone are worthy of all the praise, honor, and glory! Bless your Holy Name! Amen.

“… Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures”

- 1 Cor. 15:3

As we approach this Easter season, May we pause and remember what God has done for us. The Bible clearly tells us that we all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. (Romans 3:23) The Bible also teaches us that it is impossible for us to do anything within ourselves to change that. However God in His Love provided exactly what we needed. John 3:16 tells us that “God so loved the world that He gave his only begotten Son that whosoever (you, me, anyone) believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” God in His love sent His Son, Jesus to pay the price for the penalty for our sins. Romans 6:23 tells us that the wages(payment) of sin is death. We were all condemned to die. We are all guilty. Totally helpless! However the last half of Romans 6:23 reads, “but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” So Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures. How thankful and Blessed we are that He willingly came and died for our sins. God paid the price for the penalty of our sins through His Son Jesus Christ. The price has been paid in full forever!

Dear Lord, thank you for loving us so much that you paid the price for our sins. A debt that we could by no means pay. However you did. Thank you. We love you with all our heart, mind, and soul! Praise your wonderful Name! Amen.

“Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abide the forever.”

- 1 Peter 1:23

Oh how precious is the Word of God! We have a treasure in the Holy Bible, the infallible Word of God. In the book of Romans chapter ten verse seventeen we are told, “ So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.” How wonderful to hear the Word of God. As we hear, read, and study God’s Word, our faith grows. The scripture tells us that “ the just shall live by faith.” We, as believers in Christ, are to live daily by faith. We are to trust Him in every aspect of our lives. He is interested in everything that we think, need or do. Some things to us may seem so small but not to our God. His desire is for us to have the very best in life. I am not saying that He is just going to give us everything that we want or think that we must have. However He will supply to us everything that we need. We can trust Him to do that. We may come to places in our lives that we don’t understand what’s happening. He wants us to trust Him. We may have times that are so difficult to deal with but He still wants us to trust Him. Our verse for this week talks to us about the importance of the Word of God. Our salvation comes about by the Word of God. We are born again by the great truths laid out in His Word. How do we know anything about God? It’s through His Word. How do we know anything about God’s love for us? It’s through His Word. How do we know about Jesus dying for our sins? It’s through His Word. How do we know that we can be saved? It’s through His Word. It’s taking God at His Word. That’s faith, that’s simply trusting in what His Word says! A plus to this is found in the very last line of 1 Peter 1:23. It states that the “Word of God, which liveth and abideth forever.” That tells me that we can rely, fully trust, in the Word of God.

Dear Lord, help us to dig deeper. Help us to read, study and obey your Word. Help us to trust you in every area of our lives. We thank you for your Word. Help us to hunger and thirst after righteousness each and every day for your honor and your glory! Amen

“With my whole heart have I sought thee: O let me not wander from thy commandments.”

- Psalms 119:10

The 119th Psalm is the longest chapter in the entire word of God. This single chapter has so much that will help us as we journey daily through this life. Think about this single verse. “With my whole heart have I sought thee…” You see our life in Christ begins with our heart. In Romans 10:9, the word of God says, “that if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thy heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.” So you see our salvation comes about by believing in our hearts. We need to seek the Lord daily. Not in order to be saved again, but to find and follow His will for our lives! “O let me not wander from thy commandments.”We must daily open the Word of God and discover Gods purpose and will for our lives. When we are seeking Him with  our whole heart we will not wander from His commandments. We will seek to follow Him, walking in obedience to His precious Word. He has promised us in His Word that He will never leave us or forsake us. He will help us, lead us, and guide us every single day when we seek Him with all our heart!  Dear Lord, we need you more than anything. We come to you now seeking you with our entire heart. Please help me in my journey with you daily. Help me not to wander from your commandments, from your Word. I love you Lord and Bless your Holy Name! Amen.

“And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.”

- Jeremiah 29:13

We are living in a society that many people are searching for something. Something that will satisfy an emptiness or void in their lives. I am so thankful that I have some wonderful news available to everyone. People need the Lord. Whether a person realizes it or not, everyone needs the Lord. Jeremiah, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, penned these words for our benefit. God says that we shall seek Him and find Him when we search for Him with all our hearts. You see it is a matter of our heart. Acts 17:27 says,” that they should seek the Lord, if happy they might feel after Him, and find Him, though He be not far from every one of us.” He is near to us all and we are assured that we will find Him whenever we are searching for Him with all our heart. What a Blessing to know that He is that near, that close, to each and every one of us! Let’s pray. Dear Lord thank you that you are near. You are near to all of us. Help us to daily seek you and for your face with our entire hearts knowing that in doing so we will find you! Bless the Lord O my soul and all that is within me Bless His Holy name!

“We love Him, because He first loved us.”

- 1 John 4:19

We looked at the last part of this verse last week. “…because He first loved us.” This week we are looking at the first part of this verse. “We love Him,…”

Several times in the book of 1 John we see the phrase “my little children.” In the original Greek this means “my little born ones.” So 1 John is written to those that are saved, that have been born again . What a great Blessing it is to be saved by the Lords amazing grace. In Ephesians 2 we are told that we are “saved by grace through faith.” Salvation comes from God when we by faith trust, believe with our whole heart, in the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross of Calvary. As we talked about last week God loved us before we were even born! That’s amazing isn’t it? We love Him because of that. If we don’t love God it is a sure sign that we have never been born again! We, that are saved, love Him because He loved us first. We are to love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul and mind. Matthew 22:37. We should love Him with everything that is within us because He first loved us! Bless each of you that read this verse this week. Amen!

“We love Him, because He first loved us.”

- 1 John 4:19

The Apostle John, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, penned these words. Just let them sink in for a moment. “…because He first loved us.” He, the creator of the universe. God himself first loved us. Before anything was spoken into existence, God already loved us. God is omniscient. That means that He is all knowing. He knows everything and there is absolutely nothing,  that is hidden from Him. God in eternity past already knew that man would sin. He knew that man would need a redeemer. So God in His love provided that redeemer, the substitute for our sin debt. It was a debt that man owed but it was also a debt that man could not pay! So God demonstrated His love for man by giving His Son to die for our sins. He paid our sin debt in full by giving His life, shedding His blood for our sins. The Scriptures say in John 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.” We must realize that God loves us. He loved us before we were ever brought into existence. Before we were even  born, God loved us. He loved us even while we were yet sinners! If you haven’t yet received Christ as your savior, and the Lord is speaking to your heart. Bow your head right now, calling upon the Lord to save you, believing upon Him will all your heart and trust in Him for salvation! Jesus said “…he that cometh unto me I will in no wise cast out.”

“And now, little children, abide in Him; that, when He shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before Him at His coming.”

- 1 John 2:28

This scripture, penned by John, inspired by the Holy Spirit, tells us to abide in Him. The word “abide” in the original Greek means to continue, to remain.
 
The most important thing that will ever happen to an individual in this life is to be born again. In 2 Corinthians 5:17 tells us, “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” Once we are saved we become a new creature in Christ. We are different. We are not like the world. Our walk is different, our talk is different, the way we view people and things around us is different. We must abide, “continue, remain” in Him. It’s not that we are trying to “keep “ ourselves saved. Once we are saved we are eternally secure in His hand. We need to abide in Him. We do this as we pray, study His Word, and live it out daily in our lives. Jesus taught the disciples how important it is to abide in Him. In John 15 He told them that He is the vine and we are the branches. When we as the branches are abiding in the vine we will bring forth fruit. His desire is that we will bring forth fruit, more fruit, much fruit. The only way that becomes possible is when we that have been born again, remain, continue in Him. Study your Bible. Pray asking the Lord to help you to bring forth fruit. Allow the Lord to Bless you and use you for His Glory and Honor! Point precious souls to the “Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world.”

“The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.”

- 2 Peter 3:9

Inspired of the Holy Spirit, Peter penned these words down in response to those that were questioning the Lords return. “Where is the promise of His coming?” It was being proclaimed that Jesus Christ was coming back again. And He is coming again. Jesus taught that no man knows the day nor the hour of His return but rest assured that He is coming again! The Lord is longsuffering, meaning that the opportunity is now that men, women, boys, and girls can make preparations to meet Him. He is not willing that any should perish. We know that  by earnestly looking back to Calvary. God loves us so much that He gave, He offered His Son as our substitute. He, Jesus, took our place, died for our sin, that we could have eternal life. In 2 Corinthians 6:2 the Word of God declares, “Now is the accepted time, now is the day of Salvation. If you do not know Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, today is your day, now is your time. This is your opportunity to be saved. Today, right now, call upon Jesus with all of your heart. Be ready for Jesus Christ is coming back again!!! He has promised us that He is!

“For yet a little while, And He that shall come will come, and will not tarry.”

- Hebrews 10:35

Do you ever get up in the morning and think that today may just be the day that the Lord will return? How thankful we should be for the precious Word of God! He has promised us in His Word that He is coming again. Jesus had been explaining to His disciples that He would be arrested, crucified but the third day He would rise again. That’s the wonderful gospel message as explained in 1 Corinthians 15:1-4. Jesus then told the disciples that they were not to let their heart to be troubled. He told them, “…ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Fathers house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you, if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you unto myself; that where I am ye may be also.” John 14:1-3 (in part) The next great event concerning the church (truly born again believers) is the rapture. The catching away of the Bride of Christ. This event is described in detail in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18. What an event! What a tremendous day that will be! It will take place! It will happen! He has promised that He will come again. It could happen before the sun sets today.

The main thing is to be prepared when He comes back. The way to be ready is to be saved, to be born again! The Bible tells us that we all have sinned. Romans 3:23. The Bible also tells us of Gods love for us. “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.” The Bible says in Romans 10:13, “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” If you are reading these words today and you are not saved. If you realize that you are a sinner that needs a savior. God loves you, call upon Him and be saved right now and you’ll be ready for His return! Amen!

“But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.”

- 2 Peter 3:18

Peter, inspired by the Holy Spirit penned these words down for our benefit. We are to grow in grace. Ephesians 2:8-9 tells us that by grace are we saved through faith. So we understand that it is by the grace of God that we are saved. The best thing that can ever happen to anyone in this life is to be saved! To be born again. However, after we are saved we are to grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. How can we do that? How can this be accomplished in our lives? There is only one way. There is only one way of salvation, and there is only one way to grow in grace and the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Salvation is by grace through faith. According to Romans 2:17, Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God. It takes us hearing the word of God to have the faith to experience the grace of God. (grace is God’s unmerited favor, undeserved favor) It takes the Word of God to grow in grace and the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. We must prayerfully study the Word of God. When we do we will grow, mature, in our walk with Christ. As we study His Word and obey His Word, we grow in His grace and knowledge of Him. How sweet it is to experience His grace and to live in His grace daily!

Dear Lord, help each of your children to grow in your grace each day. Help us, as we study your Word to know more about you and to experience the abundant life that you desire for us to have. Give us a hunger and thirst for the things that will bring honor and glory to you alone. Thank you for your grace. Saving grace, grace to live by, grace that is sufficient for all our needs! Amen!

“For ever, O Lord, thy word is settled in heaven.”

- Psalms 119:89

I pray that each of you that read this today are having a Blessed week. As we journey through this life there are so many things that we are confronted with. There is a lot of uncertainty in the world that you and I live in. Many people live each day anxious about a vast array of concerns. Many are anxious concerning health issues, problems at home or in the workplace. The economic situation in our nation is of great concern to many people. We just don’t know how all of these things are going to turn out. I understand, believe me I understand. However if we will just get into God’s Word, we will soon discover that we are in control of very little. The Bible says in Romans 1:17, “The just shall live by faith.” We, that are saved,need not to be anxious about things that we can’t control. We need to just simply trust Him. This verse in the 119 Psalm tells us that His word is forever, (how long is that?) settled in heaven. His word hasn’t changed, doesn’t change, and never will change! We can trust Him and everything that He says! God will do exactly what He says He will do. To live by faith is to trust Him in all things whether we understand it or not. We must study His Word and do what His Word says. The Lord doesn’t change, His Word doesn’t change, we can trust in what His Word says.

In Ephesians chapter two, the Word of God tells us, “ For by grace are ye saved through faith…” We trust Him, believe in Him for our salvation. Why not trust Him and His Word in our everyday lives after we are saved? His Word is forever settled in heaven. We can and must rely upon His precious Word! My prayer is that you know Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. If you do not, trust in what His Word says. “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.” His Word says that He did that for you. Call upon Him now! Romans 10:13. “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” Amen!

“which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen Him go into heaven.”

- Acts 1:11 

These words were spoken by two men in white apparel to the disciples as the Lord ascended back to heaven. Jesus had been crucified, buried, and He arose from the dead. He appeared after His resurrection on different occasions to give some instructions unto those that He had called to carry on His work. He had just told them to tarry in Jerusalem until they were given power, through the Holy Spirit, to continue His work. They were to go into all the world to give witness of Him. However on different occasions He had told them that He would go away and then come back again. Here again after Jesus instructed them that they were to be witnesses unto Him in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the uttermost part of the earth,  they watched as Jesus was taken up from them unto heaven. As they were “gazing “ up into heaven, the scripture says that two men stood by them in white apparel, and asked them why they were gazing up into heaven. Then they heard the wonderful words, This same Jesus shall so come in like manner as ye have seen Him go up into heaven. Oh what a precious promise. Oh what wonderful news. The fact! May I again say the fact that Jesus is coming back again!

We celebrate His first coming, His birth. We, as His children know that He is coming again. We can rest assured that He’s coming because He told us. No man knows the day or the hour of His return. The main thing is to be ready when He does come. It could be today, tomorrow, next week, next year, or ten years from now. Just be prepared for His return. Jesus is coming! Tell everyone that you know. Jesus is coming soon!