AS IN THE DAYS OF NOAH, PAUL & TIMOTHY, SO ARE WE

The times are, at best, PERILOUS!  The command is PRECISE - Go and make disciples of all men!
The message was, is and remains simple but PROFOUND:  Repent, for the Kingdom of God is at hand!

There are many places throughout scripture where warning of the signs of "The End Time" appear, clear as a clarion call or cloaked in mystery.  Genesis, Daniel, Joel, Isaiah, Matthew and Revelation to name just a few.

Looking at one of the letters Paul wrote, we consider II Timothy chapter 3  where we discover Paul laying out an extremely serious warning to his young protege.

The references are to the very days in which Timothy finds himself attempting to preach the gospel and also a stern warning to each of us in our generations. 

Our problems aren’t simply the sin around us in the world or persecution from the world; that is all to be expected and Jesus Himself clearly told us we would be hated (John 15) because He was hated.

No, our problems begin with what is within!  Matters that twist and darken our own hearts, however much we might choose to blind ourselves to our own faults. We are in need of being separated from sin and our "old man" carnal nature just as gold and silver needs to be separated from the impurities that attach themselves to the precious metals! We as believers need to purified from the sin and corruption within the Body of Christ that defile us as Gods children!

The message found in this letter to Timothy can certainly be considered a warning to the present church and each believer individually as we experience circumstances and people of the same characteristics as those Paul described to Timothy.

For your study and understanding, we present a starting point as you continue to carry out the Great Commission of our Lord!

 We are by no means attempting to present a comprehensive study, but instead, as we each must study to show ourselves approved to God (II Timothy 2:15) as workman rightly dividing the Word of Truth, we share some insight to help you and guide you in your own study. 

May the Lord enlighten your eyes and quicken your heart as He leads you to His truth for your life!  We are ever praying for His saints!  Always, if you have questions, prayer requests or comments you are welcome to share!

II Timothy 3:1-5

Perilous times:  wickedness of the world in abundance; wickedness of religion that sets itself above God, which will make it difficult indeed for anyone to attempt to live a godly, righteous or holy life!  False teaching will have led so many astray that deceit will lead us to believe we are on a path of righteousness simply because the “majority” is found there!  God does not act by majority rule, but is wholly sovereign in all ways.

Lovers of themselves:  No love for God, no love for neighbor, carnally minded – more concerned with fleshly pursuits than holiness, no regard for the well-being of their families, only regard for SELF

Lovers of money: the root of all evil is the love of money; well Jesus declared "You cannot love God and mammon"

Boasters: of themselves, no glory to God, only thing of importance is SELF (self-esteem, self-awareness, self-sufficiency, personal truth)

Proud: thinking highly of themselves without fear (awe, respect) of God

Blasphemers: reviling God and man alike

Disobedient to parents: and all authority

Unthankful: no sense of loyalty to anything but self

Unholy: professing devotion to God but without action portraying that devotion

Unloving: “without natural affection” – lack of familial or brotherly love

Unforgiving: irreconcilable to God, refusal to accept the means to be reconciled - rejecting salvation

Slanderers: does not acknowledge God sovereignty

Without Self-Control:  whatever feels good, do it, without regard for how it affects others or what the consequences may be

Brutal: fierce (matt 8:28) malicious, cruel

Despisers of Good: seeking everything BUT the truth ( understand that TRUTH is not a concept but a the person of Jesus)

Traitors: No loyalty to any but self! No boundaries, no rules, no inhibitions to consider

Headstrong: answering only to self

Haughty: thinking only of self

Lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God (refer back to first, lovers of self)

HAVING A FORM OF GODLINESS (Worship!) but denying its power; FALSE WORSHIP – actions that look like, appear to be, but are not!  IDOL WORSHIP – anything but the true God – the music, your emotions, the church you belong to, the band playing the music, the person delivering teachings...

FROM SUCH TURN AWAY! 

Can the church turn its back on the false teaching and worldly culture and be restored? YES!  All who call on the name of Jesus shall be saved!  
REPENT, and turn from wickedness!
Galatians 3:26-29  
For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.  For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.  There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.  And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.

Recognize the signs of times, Brothers and Sisters, and examine your own hearts according to the truth found in scripture.  Then share that message of salvation, repentance and forgiveness of sin with others in the Love of Christ.  This is our reasonable service (Romans 12: 1-4) of obedience to our Lord.

Recognizing Truth

There is so much noise clamoring for our attention day in and day out.  From the moment we awake to the moment we close our eyes to sleep we are distracted by this and that.  Bombarded by ideas and thoughts and feelings and emotions and desires and news of the actions of others and the reactions of others and being pulled this way and that way by so many telling us we should think this or think that or feel this or feel that or do this or do that or vote this way or behave that way........ we've become a world of regurgitated information that never stops with 24 hour news cycles and endless television shows and video's on youtube and instant information from any search engine on the internet and a constant stream of noise and interruption and WATCH THIS HEAR THIS THINK THIS BELIEVE THIS TRY THIS DRINK THIS EAT THIS DO THIS BE THIS...

Until we just don't know any more what are we supposed to be doing thinking feeling being

ROMANS 12:2a  and do not be conformed to this world.......

How many of us are watching news on the tv, reading the newspaper, listening to radio?  How many are active on Facebook, Twitter and receiving emails constantly from one source or another?  How many have family, friends and neighbors, co-workers who all have opinions and are only too happy to share those opinions with us?

Over time all of this exposure to all of these thoughts and feelings and opinions mix with our own and we get worn down.  The clear line we may once have drawn for ourselves between what we chose to believe and what we now think can become blurred.  

The clear line between right and wrong, righteousness and sin becomes blurred and faint and slowly fades away until we become uncertain, unclear about right, wrong, acceptable and unacceptable.  We begin to think there may be a gray area, we don't want to offend others who also believe what they believe just as strongly and sincerely as we believe what we believe and after all how can we really know?  How can we truly say this is right or that is wrong when surely what is right for one in ones circumstances may not be right for another in another circumstance.

How can we be sure?

ROMANS 12:2b but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.....

To be transformed is to be you, but different.  Think about the movie or the toys, the Transformers.  First it's a robot and then it transforms into a car and vice versa.  It's still what it is but it is transformed, changes shape and purpose and becomes something entirely different, yet still the same parts and pieces.

Our instruction is clear.

We must NOT be conformed: compliant, accommodating, integrated, yielded to this world, but instead we are to be TRANSFORMED: altered, reconstructed, revolutionized, translated, remodeled and MOLDED.....

HOW?

by renewing our minds.

Among all the tv, radio, newspapers and internet, how much time and how often do you pick up your bible?

Until you are introduced to TRUTH you will never recognize TRUTH.  Truth is the only thing that will set you free from political correctness and confusion over right and wrong and indecision and uncertainty!

The truth is Jesus. Jesus tells us that there is no middle ground, no gray area.  Let your yes be yes!

Matthew 5:37 is clear.  

Let your Yes be Yes and your No, No.  For whatever is more than these is from the evil one.

The world would tell us there are mitigating circumstances and "gray" areas where one thing or another are difficult to choose from, where what might be wrong in one situation may be right in this situation.  When a clear violation of what is right and wrong isn't clear.  The world contradicts the TRUTH and pressures us to accept the contradiction and conform to a manner of thinking that leads to behavior that is clearly in violation of what God has revealed is righteous behavior.

Such as when abortion would be acceptable. The world would confuse us with goobledygook double speak about emotions and thoughts and feelings and womans rights and womans health issues and a womans right to choose; BUT GOD tells us that every person is made, formed and created by Him and He personally formed each of us and covered us in the womb of the mother! (Psalm 139: 13-16)

While the world clamors to fill our heads and hearts and half truths and confuse us with too many choices so we might never know the clear path of truth, God gives us simple, easy to follow instructions.

We must be BORN AGAIN.  Repent of our sin and be forgiven.  Accept that Jesus died in our place and rose from the dead to redeem us from evil.

We all fall short of Gods glorious perfection.  We all sin, even AFTER being born again! Even after the Holy Spirit lives in our hearts we fall, we mess up, we choose wrong, we SIN!  And God still makes a clear way for.

I John 1: 8-10 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.  If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us. 

As long as we let the world dictate all our thought and actions the line between right and wrong will continue to fade and the false gray area will continue to look like a safe place to dwell.  The opinions of many will sway us and the rule of majority will even convince us that we are right.

But the day will come when we will stand, ALONE, before the God Who Created the universe.  No mother, no father, no sister, no brother, no husband, no wife, no son and no daughter.  No neighbor, no friend, no pastor, no preacher,  just we alone with our God to answer to Him and be judged by Him according to His perfection and holiness and righteousness.

Jesus will be the only one standing with each of us.  What you have done with TRUTH, for Jesus Himself is the TRUTH, will determine whether that TRUTH will recognize YOU at that time that determines your entire eternity.  And it won't be about what all that other noise influenced you to think and say and do.

It will all be about whether or not you recognized TRUTH.  If you did, then TRUTH will now recognize YOU and be your advocate and speak on your behalf to the great God Almighty.  Or will TRUTH do with you what you did with TRUTH?  Be silent, reject it, fail to recognize it?

DON'T BE CONFORMED TO THIS WORLD.......

                      BUT BE TRANSFORMED BY THE RENEWING OF YOUR MIND

that you may PROVE what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

There surely is a LOT of noise working hard to get our attention.  And it would be easy to get confused and wonder how we could possibly know where TRUTH lies.  Trust the still small voice in your heart.  For God has called us to know the TRUTH and God desires that all men should repent and come to a saving knowledge of the TRUTH.  

It is always right to LOVE; and God has proven His love by sending His son to shine TRUTH on all who will receive it with gladness!

Going Through

Many is the time I find myself thanking God for the examples He supplied throughout the Old Testament of how the flesh fails.

My flesh fails regularly; it gets impatient, selfish, self-absorbed, frustrated, and angry and a whole host of other … shhhh…sinful emotions on a daily basis.  Someone else may have found a foolproof way to fleshproof their existence, but I haven’t reached that Nirvana plateau by any stretch of the imagination.

Speaking of imagination though, I often utilize my imagination to help me get my flesh under control when it is acting up particularly badly in any given situation. 

I imagine those Israelites, trudging across the Wilderness.

That’s why I’m so thankful for the examples we’ve been given.  They help me put it all in perspective and remembering how weak my flesh is, how weak all flesh is, I also remember where the strength comes from.  It certainly isn't from me "pulling up my boot straps" or reaching deep inside myself. 

May I share some recent events as relate to historical events with you? 

Recently, my spouse and I prayed a series of prayers based on some specific needs in our lives.  Here’s what we discovered and learned and by Gods grace are overcoming through the answers God provided to each prayer.  Listen in and see if you might learn something too.

At first when our prayers were answered, we were joyful!  WOW!!  We asked, God supplied, isn’t our God good??!!?!

Then the daily grind set in, quickly, quicker than you could imagine. 

To get from A to B, where we wanted and needed to get to, we had to actually make the trip.

Just like the Israelites, all those years ago, when they asked and asked for God to deliver them from bondage to the Egyptians.

God delivered them.  He set them free!  He promised to bring them to a land flowing with milk and honey!  They would be masters of their own destinations, free to choose their own life path!

The journey to that freedom had only just begun when it started.

The grumbling, the whining, and the bellyaching about how hard it was, actually making the journey.  How hungry they were, how thirsty, how tired and hey, didn’t they have it better when they were in Egypt? 

Food was scarce, sure, but at least they had something to eat!  Water was precious and doled out by the thimble-full, but hey, at least they had water!

The fleshly ailment that plagued those Israelites is the same exact fleshly ailment that began to plague my spouse and me.

We were fast losing sight of the BIG PICTURE, the deliverance from certain situations as God brought about answers to our prayers, as He began to bless us just as we had asked Him to!  

We were getting trapped by the minutiae of the “DAILY GRIND”. 

There’s a reason it is called the DAILY GRIND. 

Daily, it grinds you down. 

It grinds down your joy.

 

It grinds down your gratitude. 

It grinds down your vision of the BIG PICTURE, that you are leaving point A which wasn’t working out favorably at all, and that you are actually on your way to point B, where you WANT to be, where you need to be and where God will bless you there. 

It just grinds your vision down until your vision is fuzzy and out of focus, and you are caught in that minutiae.

We tend to have a very romantic view of those souls from the Old Testament that serve as our example.  We read about 40 years of wandering in the desert and our minds condense it to no more than the 4 seconds it takes us to read the words.

40 years.

WOW!!

I am not sure I’d have made it.  After 6 months or so, I probably would have convinced myself that I had misheard Gods instructions and I was really supposed to stop traveling, dig in and build a city for myself right there in the wilderness.

Can you honestly say you wouldn’t do the same?  That you would have the foresight and strength of mind to keep going, pitching your tent every night, cleaning it all up and packing it away and strapping it on your back and walking all day, every day, day after day for 40 years?  

That’s 14,600 days.  Even if you stayed in camp for a week at a time, that’s 2080 times you would pack that tent, trudge through hot desert, unpack that tent, sleep, pack that tent up and do it all again.

I can hear you and me now.  

Whining, crying, belly-aching and forgetting all about what WE asked God to do for us and He is so graciously and kindly doing!

When they finally reached that beautiful Land that had been promised, 10 of them had gotten ground down in the minutiae of the daily grind and reported on what they’d seen; sure, the Land was flowing with milk and honey, but it’s too late, they said,  it’s too hard, they cried, it will be too much work for us to go in and possess it, we just can’t do it!

Two of them reported that the Land was glorious and they needed only to march in and claim the prize they’d been promised!  See Numbers 13 and 14 for the full story.

How did they have such a different response?  It wasn’t that they didn’t all go through the same daily grind.  It was something else.

Their God had given specific instruction to them.  And they were sticking to it.

He has given specific instruction to us. Are you aware of that?  Each of us has a specific call, a purpose to fulfill.  Can we, will we stick to it?

Jesus told us to follow Him.  How exciting, how wonderful!  We’ve been invited to follow the King of Kings and Lord of Lords!  How romantic to follow in His steps!

Oh, no, wait, we have to TAKE UP OUR CROSS, the burden involved in following Him, the cost, the weight, the DAILY GRIND we have to overcome to do what it takes to follow Jesus.

We’ve just celebrated the Resurrection of Christ.  For many, that means we focused for a minute or two on what Jesus went through to get to that Resurrection.

Every blow of every crack of the whips they used to beat Him beyond recognition. 

Every strand of hair painfully pulled ruthlessly from his chin as they tore out His beard.

Every drop of spittle spat contemptuously upon Him.

Every kick crashing wave upon wave of pain through His muscles, already stretched beyond endurance.

Every thorn point, breaking skin and violently tearing into His skull.

How did Jesus get from point A: coming to earth as a man to deliver all Mankind from the wages of sin, to point B: raising up from the dead to gloriously declare that all penalty had been paid, all the price was settled and you and I were FREE for all Eternity from our sin?

It wasn’t that He didn’t go through.  He most certainly went through for you and me.

The Scripture tells us the answer.

Hebrews 12: 1-3

Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.  For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls.

We cannot escape the experience of the flesh.  We must go through, just as Caleb and Joshua, two of the 12 spies Israel sent into the Promised Land to bring back a report, had to go through.  The same daily grind as everyone else for those 40 years of wandering, seemingly endlessly, pointlessly for 14,600 days.

The difference was in their focus.  The difference was in what they choose to hold onto.  While everyone else kept looking at the circumstances of the world around them, and giving in to the complaints of their flesh, they kept their focus firmly fixed, steadfast, on the promises God had made to them.  They didn’t concentrate on the momentary flesh discomforts, but kept the vision of the end result bright and clear  before their eyes.

When Jesus was enduring horrific suffering in the flesh, His mind was fixed, not on what He was currently enduring, but on the BIG PICTURE.  The END RESULT that would be achieved.  The JOY of providing salvation to His creation – YOU and ME.

It’s tough, I will give you that.  It is a struggle.  In fact, it is a real FIGHT to bring the flesh into submission.  But it is a fight worth waging and a fight worth WINNING.

The prize is spectacular, beyond the ability of our finite minds to comprehend.

JOY everlasting.  Always in the delightful, loving, glorious presence of God in all His fullness.

We can also try looking at this another way.

Think back to when you were a child.  Your parents or a figure of authority you really wanted to impress  asked you to do something.  They were counting on you.  

You didn’t want to let them down.  You not only wanted to achieve the expectation to please them, but you wanted the satisfaction yourself of knowing you had done it, you had completed the task, won their approval and proved to yourself you could do it.

That was a temporary, momentary, fleeting victory which you were willing to give your all to achieve.

God has set a task and the end result is ETERNAL, NEVER ENDING, and of far greater IMPORT to the entire world and all of heaven and most especially to YOU.

If we will fix our thoughts and hearts on the end result, somehow, we will get through the minutiae and win the victory over our flesh. And receive the reward that God has promised, life everlasting, full of joy and peace.

And we will experience reward right here on earth, living a life of true purpose, being LIGHT and SALT to our own generation, and some of us will even affect generations that came before us, and the generations coming up after us.

Obedience.  Its a WIN - WIN situation for all who participate.

Don't give up, don't give in!  Just SURRENDER to the work of the Holy Spirit and follow His leading.  You will have a bumpy ride, but it will be exhilarating!  

That lofty thing called LOVE

John 13:35

By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.

Are you a disciple of Jesus?  Is it obvious?  Can others see it readily, easily without looking too hard?

One of the favorite subjects in the church and out of the church of God, is how much God loves us.  Whether or not God loves us.  All the things God does to show how much He loves us.

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes on Him should not perish but have everlasting life.  John 3:16 has to be one of the best known verses from the Bible.

It's comforting to remind ourselves about the love God has for us.  It lends a sense of security, strength and happiness to think about how much God loves us, His children, His creation.

Most of us are real pleased to go on about how much we love God, too.  We worship Him.  We adore Him.  We are in ecstasy praising Him and serving Him and glorifying Him and exalting Him.  We bless His Holy name!

BUT.... for the world to know that He is worthy and honored, He asks not that we acknowledge His love for us; not that we show our love for Him.

But that we show all how mighty He is by loving one another.  Loving, truly loving unselfishly, other people is hard.  People are ornery and contrary and self absorbed and imperfect, and flawed and fallible and often foolish.  People aren't always easy to love.  Not even our families and friends.  But we are commanded to love both our families and friends and those we don't know well and those who aren't so lovable and strangers and even those we might call our enemies.

No easy task our Lord has commanded.  Love, not hate.  Pray for not against.  

Be kind, thoughtful, generous, patient, humble, hopeful; giving LOVE to the deserving, the undeserving, the grateful and the ungrateful.  

L.O.V.E.  Not seeking our own, but seeking the well being of others.  L.O.V.E.

On this Valentine weekend, let us encourage one another with this simple command.  Love one another.  

Happy Valentines's Day!

We love you!

You Can't Handle the TRUTH!

We dress it down, cover it up, smooth it over and do whatever it takes to make it easier to swallow.

The truth is that we can't handle the raw, unvarnished, unimpeachable, immovable, immutable eternal truth.  Because truth isn't our version of a story, or how something is presented to us.  It most certainly isn't "relative" or personal to each individual.  It isn't what you think it is or what I think it is.

In fact, it isn't an "it" at all.  TRUTH is a PERSON.  That person is Jesus; the Christ, the Counselor, the Savior, the Deliverer, the Son of God, the Prince of Peace, the Only Wise God, the Way, the Life

and He is the TRUTH.

No truth is found outside of Jesus.

We can deny the truth, but we can't change it.  You can ignore it but it exists eternally with or without your acknowledgement.  You can heap abuse on it but it stands proud and tall.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. 4 In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. 

(John 1:1-5)

It seems so simple really.  And quite unbelievable.  Unbelievable because we - you and I - could never, would never give so freely and completely and unselfishly of ourselves as Jesus did for us.  We can't because we are sinful weak flesh.  He can and did because He is the Holy, Just, Righteous, Gracious, Merciful Creator of all heaven and all and everything in it.

We can argue that there are contradictions in the Bible - oh wait, no.  I won't argue with you, because I can see for myself that there are apparent contradictions.  I remember that the bible is a translation made by men who may or may not have rearranged a few words to suit their own theology.  You may even "disprove" the Bible or parts of the Bible.  Again, mans translations, what can you do?

BUT  YOU  CANNOT  EVER  TOUCH  THE  TRUTH

It remains unchanged, sometimes unfathomable but always faithful to those who will simply accept it.  God created.  We need Him.  Our need is so overwhelming and all pervasive that we cannot even see it sometimes.  He Loves Us.  So He came in the form of Man, Jesus, the Son of God, to redeem mankind from Sin.

You don't have to join a monastery, live in a cave give away everything you have or behave in any silly, undignified manner.

You just call on His Name:  JESUS

and He answers.  Look for Him, as He is the Answer, and you will be found.  That's His promise.

Every year at this time we encourage you to join with us and countless others around the world in consuming DAILY the Words of Life that will transform, inspire and uplift you.  Visit the Daily Reading page, print out your calendar and begin reading.  We eagerly await your tales of change and growth!  We know they will occur, because our lives have changed so drastically as a result and continue to change each day, each year.

MAY GOD HIMSELF BLESS AND KEEP YOU UNTIL THE DAY OF THE GLORIOUS APPEARING OF HIS SON JESUS THE CHRIST TO GATHER HIS SAINTS. 

HAPPY  NEW  YEAR  FROM  OUR  HEARTS  TO  YOURS

2015 - LIGHT  IT  UP!

FRIENDS

This week, I was wondering if you would take a little journey with me?  It will be a journey of personal discovery and it may very well change some things in your life.  It could even change everything, and not just for this moment but for all the rest of your life.

Imagine with me that we are living our lives and Jesus is real and alive at this time, too.  Imagine you are going about your daily routines, living your daily life, when suddenly you are confronted by Jesus personally, and called to go along with Him.  He wants you, specifically you, to simply hang out with Him.  As far as you know He’s the most interesting character of the century, popular in every venue, voted “MOST” in every category, the celebrity of all celebrities – and He has invited you to become a close personal friend.

You accept and for the next three years you are privy to every moment of every day.  You watch and observe and are part of every circumstance.  You and Jesus have shared meals, shared laughter, shared stories, shared sadness, shared joy, shared triumphs and shared failures; your own and those of Jesus’ other comrades.  In all of it, Jesus has taught you, strengthened you, encouraged you and given you every reason to hope.  You have been witness to extraordinary miracles you would never have imagined possible!

You have been witness to the most incredible of situations and watched the everyday ordinary become the means to the marvelous bordering on unbelievable.  But you saw it with your eyes, you heard it with your own ears and you know that you know that you know it has all actually occurred.  By now, you think you know Jesus really well, and you have become good buddies, great friends who always have each others backs.

After all of that, Jesus comes to you with a question.

Matthew 16:13-15; Mark 8:29; Luke 9:20

When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi He asked His disciples “ Who men say that I, the Son of Man is?”  So they said “Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”

He said to them “BUT WHO DO YOU SAY THAT I AM?”

The moment of truth has arrived.  It cannot be taken for granted, but must be answered.  This is the question each of us must answer for ourselves.  This is the question that leads, not to just knowing who Jesus is, but to our understanding who we are.  In my own years of learning to walk with the Lord and in working in ministry sharing about the Lord with others, I have found that how someone defines Jesus, defines who they really are. 

How you honestly define Jesus within the context of who He is TO YOU, I've discovered, says more about defining yourself than defining Him.

I say that because He is who He is no matter what you think or feel or believe about Him.  But who Jesus is to you will influence and dictate your every action, belief, your heart and ultimately define who you are!

A concern in this area is when we say with our mouths that he is Lord but live as if no opinion but our own will be considered in deciding our actions.  In this case our very actions loudly declare that we ourselves are Lord of our life and not Jesus at all! 

If we believe He is just a nice prophet who said some useful, honorable things, then we may walk with some integrity, yet still choosing for ourselves which teachings we will follow and which we will disregard.

When truly we understand, accept and live with Him as the Lord and Savior of our life, then and only then will our choices, decisions, words and actions reflect the truth of His Lordship.  There will be times of stumbling and falls in our lives, but they will not define the majority of our actions.  Each day that passes will see us growing, changing and more perfectly reflecting the light of Christ through our actions and words.  We may get this thing wrong today, but the Holy Spirit guiding us as we submit ourselves to the Lordship of Jesus will be reflected as we get it right tomorrow.

Though we may call ourselves Christians and attend church regularly, this question confronts us, just as Jesus confronted His disciples with it those many years ago.

“WHO DO YOU SAY THAT I AM?” Jesus asks us today.

Have you never considered this question before?  Have you in the past given lip service only but never truly submitted your heart to the Lord of all creation?  Who do you say Jesus is, to you?

We would consider it an unequaled privilege to pray with you and help you discover answers to that question Jesus asks of all who would be His disciples. “Who do YOU say that I am?”