When we pray?

In James 5: 16 - 18 it says, "Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. Elijah was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit." What kind of results are we having when we pray?

Forgiven

The song goes like this, "have you learned to forgive, to just let it go, no looking back and then you won't move so slow, just give it to the one who has saved your soul and you'll learn to forgive my friend." This is a nice chorus that the Lord gave me many years ago, but it is absolutely worthless if you and I don't forgive. How long has it been since the Holy Spirit has reminded us of the importance of forgiveness? Is there that one person or one situation that is eating at us? Let me exhort us all that Jesus said, if we don't forgive, we will not be forgiven.

What are we sowing?

Galatians 6:7 says, "Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap." The annual excitement is in the air or maybe I should say in the dirt. People are planting their vegetable and flower gardens in hopes of a bountiful harvest, and it is exciting to see the fruits of our labor. If we sow carrot seed we will reap carrots. If we sow squash seed we will reap squash. This is so easy to see in nature and yet mankind has the hardest time understanding spiritual sowing and reaping. Scripture tells us, that if we sow sin we will reap death, when it says that the wages of sin is death, it means if you sin you reap death. Yet Christians continue to sow sin. The Church in this current hour is sowing seed and much of it is going to reap death. In many churches playing in far more important than prayer.In churches across our land many Pastors are afraid to mention sin for fear of losing people who have only come to have their ears tickled with upbeat and positive talks that are at best only encouraging good works, the most of which are not born of the Spirit but of the flesh. The call to our lives is to go make disciples, and to love God with everything we have and are, and to love our neighbor the same way we love ourselves. Let's get to sowing.

Where are the nine?

In Luke chapter 17 Jesus went into a certain village and ten lepers from a distance cried at the top of their lungs, "Jesus, Master, have mercy on us." Jesus had compassion on them and told them to go show themselves unto the priest so that they could be declared healed. As the ten lepers started out to see the priest, they were healed. And one of them when he saw that he was healed turned around and with a loud voice glorified God, falling on his face at Jesus' feet giving him thanks. Scripture says in verse 16, "... and he was a Samaritan." In verse 17 Jesus says, "... Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine?" Let me ask the same question, where are the nine? Are they filling the churches across the land, teaching Sunday School classes, functioning in leadership positions, etc.. Each one of us that has been born again were as the lepers were and Jesus cleansed and saved us all. Are we at Jesus' feet worshiping or are we so wrapped up in ourselves that we haven't the time or will to worship our Lord Jesus Christ? Where are the nine? Well they are mostly attending Church meetings across the land, but that is not the question. The question is, are we the one out of ten who returns daily to worship the one who saved us and cleansed us and set us free? As fearful and dreadful as it sounds, is it possible that 90 percent of those in churches are the lukewarm that Jesus said he would spew out of his mouth (Revelation 3:16)?

The Key!

The bench he was sitting on was really hard and time seemed to be standing still. He was beginning to feel anxious about his life. He heard footsteps approaching and then the footsteps stopped in front of the doorway and a man said, "Would you like something to read?" He told him that he would and he was handed a book and the man walked away. He looked at the book and opened it to find that he had been handed a Bible. He randomly opened it and began to read these words out of John 8: 31 -32, "Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, if ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed: and ye shall know the truth, and the truth will make you free." A light shone in his heart and it felt as if his guard had handed him a key to his cell. He read more and more out of the Bible and soon he was free, just as if he had never sinned. Later when he was released from prison he left with a call in his heart to tell everyone what Jesus had done for him, and to tell them that the Word of God is the key to freedom in their lives. Has he talked to you yet? If he has, are you a freed prisoner coming out of your cell with a call in your heart. Will you share your freedom with others? Freely we have received and freely we must give. Love and Grace to you.

Someday is payday!

It may not be today or tomorrow, but it is someday. Sooner or later it will come and of that we can be sure. In scripture it says in Romans 6: 23, "For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." and in Galatians 6: 7 it says, "Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting." If we sow good seed, we reap good. If we sow bad seed, we reap bad. It just doesn't always happen by tomorrow but someday is payday and of this we can be sure. What will your payday yield?

They all forsook him, and fled.

The word tells us how Jesus was taken captive by a great multitude with swords and staves, sent by the chief priest and the scribes and the elders.(See Mark 14: 43 and following). Judas betrayed Christ with a kiss, and Jesus was taken captive. In Verse 50 of Mark 14 it says, "And they all forsook him, and fled. It seems true that it is still happening today, that when trouble comes Christians run over one another forsaking Christ and fleeing to what they might call greener pastures. Let's all be careful not to forsake Christ nor one another. Have you ever forsaken Christ? It can happen as we are given an opportunity to speak up for Christ, and instead of speaking for him our message is abundantly clear as we flee the uncomfortable situation. Are we free to speak about Christ and introduce Him to others? God's will is that all be saved. Jesus is still the answer to man's problems and contrary to what many think, Jesus still Saves!