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QUESTIONS GOD WON'T ASK
God won't ask the square footage
of your house, but he will ask how
many people you welcomed into
your home.
God won't ask about the cloths you
had in your closet, but he will ask
how many you helped to clothe.
God won't ask what your highest
salary was, but he will ask if you
compromised your character to
obtain it.
God won't ask what your job title
was, but he will ask if you performed
your job to the best of your ability.
God won't ask how many friends
you had, but he will ask how you
treated your friends.
God won't ask about the color of
your skin, but he will ask about
the content of your character.
Good friends are hard to find,
harder to leave, and impossible
to forget. |
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DIRECTIONS TO GOD'S HOUSE
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Many of you may be traveling in the coming weeks and checking an atlas or the internet to find the
shortest way to your destination. You might find this interesting, the road to God's House.
Make a right turn onto "Believer's Blvd" (John 3:16) Go stright down the" Way of the Cross" (Hebrews 5:8-9),
Passing the mile markers of "repentance, confession and baptism" (Luke 13:3-5, Matt.10:32, Acts 2:38) Go through
the green light which is Jesus Christ (John 14:6, Galations 3:26-27)
From there turn onto "Shepherd's Path" which passes by green pastures and still waters (Psalms 23). Make a right
turn and keep straight. You are on the "King's Highway" --Heaven-bound (1 Peter 1:4)!
Go a second mile, for that's where the most beautiful scenery is (Matt. 5:41). Exit off onto "Grace Blvd" (Eph. 2:8-9)
From there, make a right turn onto "Gospel Lane". (1 Corinthians 15:1-3)
Keep straight. The make another right turn onto "Prayer Ave.." As you go on your way, yield not to the traffic on
"Temptation Blvd." Also avoid "Sin Street" because it is a Deadend.
Pass by "Envy Drive, Lust Circle, And Hate Ave." Don't slow as you pass "Hypocrisy Alley, Gossiping Lane and
"Backbiting Blvd." These look like short cuts, but they will get you lost.
Take the time for the scenic view and travel the "Path of Kindness, Charity Trail and Joy's Corridor." You'll have to
travel down "Long-suffering Lane, Persecution Blvd., Patience Pass and Tribulations Street" for part of the Journey,
but that's all right, because "Victory Lane " is straight ahead !
I hope to see you when we all get home, so drive safely !
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" IS JESUS MY LORD "
In Acts2, on the day of Pentecost, Peter concluded his sermon by proclaiming that "God hath made this same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ."(ver.36). All who claim to be followers of Jesus Christ surely must admit that He is Lord! The Jews who gathered at Jeresalem on that occasion believed that Jesus was Lord and became followers of Him. But what does it mean to say "Jesus is Lord!"
First, the word "Lord" means "master, soveregin,". The word then carries the idea of ruling with power and
authority (Matthew 28:18). God demonstreted this power by fulfulling the prophecy of David in Psalm 16. God
did not leave Jesus in hell or the hedean realm, but raised him up to sit on the throne of David (Acts 2:27-30).
Therefore, Christ is Lord, sitting on the throne and ruling over His kingdom. So today, when people profess
that Jesus is Lord, they are proclaiming that Jesus is on the throne, ruling and they subject to His rule and
authority. And whether men profess this or not does not change the fact that Jesus is Lord.
The obvious question now is, " If followers of Christ claim Jesus is Lord, then why are there so many
different beliefs amoung His followers?" The fact is there should not be. Jesus once asked, " And why call;
ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?" (Luke 6:46). The point Jesus was making is that to
be a follower of His means morw than just calling Him Lord. In order to serve Jesus acceptably as your Lord
means doing what He says (Luke 6:47; cf. Matthew 6:21-23). Recognizing Jesus as Lord, we must give our lives
wholeheartedly to Him, presenting ourselves to Him a living sacrifice, and doing the things He has said.
Looking back to Acts 2, we see these Jews that Peter had convinced that Jesus is Lord and Christ, asked
the question "What shall we do?" They understood that since Jesus was Lord they must submit to His will to be pleasing to God. Serving God as a Jew was no longer acceptable. It could not be that they were going the same
way, but just on different roads. Why? Because Jesus is the Lord and the only way to be pleasing to God is to
do His will.
Now each one of us must ask ourselves the question, "Is Jesus My Lord?" The answer will be determined by
what you and I do, just as it was in Acts 2. Let us all determine that we will confess Jesus is Lord and follow Him in His example and obey Him in all things. Let there be no misunderstanding that Jesus is Lord. We will all
confess it one day (Philipians 2:9-11). Let's confess it and do His will now on this side of eternity.
GOD'S WORD STANDS FOREVER
The Bible is unique. No other book has been attached like it, scrutinized like it or criticized like it. Neither has there
ever been another book that has stood its ground like the Bible. The critics have passed on through the centuries,
but the Bible stands as strong today as ever, it is an amazing book.
Why is there so much hatred against the Bible? Perhaps we can see part of the reason in a statement Jesus made:
"And this is the judgement, that the light is come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the light;
for their deeds were evil" (John 3:19). Jesus was referring to himself as the light coming into the world. The Bible
represents the words of Christ. If people hated Him, they also hated His words. Why? Because His word exposes
evil and shines light upon the sinful activities of mankind. People who love their sin will despise the Bible.
The Bible still stands. Regardless of all the hatred manifested toward it through the ages, It is still here to be
reckoned with. This fact alone ought to make us think about the importance of the Bible. If a book were to be
given to us by God, then we should expect that it endures. This is exactly what God promised about His word.
"A voice says, 'Call out.' Then he answered, What shall I call out?' All flesh is grass, and all its loveliness is like
the flower of the field. The grass withers, the flower fades, when the breath of the Lord blows upon it; surely the
pepole are grass. The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God stands forever." (Isaiah 40:6-8)
Peter repeated this over 700 years later ( 1 Peter 1:24-25). And today nearlt 2000 years after Peter wrote, the word
of God still stands. It has not diminished in its power and authority at all. This at least makes the Bible worthy of
our investigation.
The word of God has the power to change--no, not just like other"self--help books. Other books might tell you how
to treat others better, or fell better about yourself or how to lose weight. The Bible gives us the way to forgivness
of sins and eternal life. The Bible not only tells us how to improve life on earth, it tells us how to go to heaven. It
gives us what no other book gives.
When we obey God's word, we are "born again not of seed which is perishable but imperishable, that is, through
the living and abiding word of God. (1 Peter 1:23). Being born again of the imperishable word, we are "born again
to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance which is imperishable
and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you "(1Peter 1:3-4). Because we are born of the word
which is imperishable, we receive a reward which is also Imperishable. This all comes from the God who will
always remain and stand forever.
Investigate the Bible. It is not a book that we can brush aside with a sweep of the hand. We must come to terms
with it. It is the inspired word of God, and it will be with us on the day of judgement (John 12:48) Don't trust your
soul to anything less than God's holy word
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