Hearing from God

Romans 14:23b for whatsoever is not of faith is sin. Inside each of us there is the voice of God to tell us about sin. As a preacher I have wasted countless hours trying to define sin for myself and others. This voice of God is clear, concise and leaves nothing out. So, why do so many people seem to be deaf. The Lord desires for his people to follow him in love, not be-grudged obedience. If we truly love God we will pay attention to his voice.......are you listening?

7-31-2015      Luke 8:9-15

S.       9And his disciples asked him, saying, what might this parable be? 10And he said, Unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God: but to others in parables; that seeing they might not see, and hearing they might not understand. 11 Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God.12 Those by the way side are they that hear; then cometh the devil, and taketh away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved.13 They on the rock are they, which, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, which for a while believe, and in time of temptation fall away.14 And that which fell among thorns are they, which, when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection.15 But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience.

O.      Jesus explains the parable to his disciples.

A.      I am glad that the Lord does not want me in a place of misunderstanding. Most problems in life can be explained. I will listen to the explanations to gain understanding and promote unity.

P.       Father; open my understanding and expand my patience that I may find unity with you and my fellow man. Amen. 

Sinlessness

Adam and Eve in the Garden: No sin and no sickness.

Jesus as a man on earth: No sin and no sickness.

Us in Heaven: no sin and no sickness.

There is a clear lesson in this outline about sickness. Sickness came upon man as a result of sin, another good reason to HATE sin, avoid sin, repent and obey God's Word.

If you can avoid sin for only one minute at a time...........live your life..........one........sinless minute at a time.

Shedding innocent blood

God hate's seven things. If he hates these so will I. He will need to teach me how to react to these seven things because I am sure I don't know how. The third thing listed is the shedding of innocent blood. Rockets and bombs flying into peoples homes and killing children would cover this. Bullets from gang fights, drunks driving, are just as bad. Dear Lord, teach us how to live in peace and love. 

S.O.A.P.

4-20-2015      Romans 15:17-21

S.       17I have therefore whereof I may glory through Jesus Christ in those things which pertain to God.18For I will not dare to speak of any of those things which Christ hath not wrought by me, to make the Gentiles obedient, by word and deed,19Through mighty signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God; so that from Jerusalem, and round about unto Illyricum, I have fully preached the gospel of Christ.20Yea, so have I strived to preach the gospel, not where Christ was named, lest I should build upon another man's foundation:21But as it is written, To whom he was not spoken of, they shall see: and they that have not heard shall understand.

O.      Paul shares Jesus from Jerusalem to Illyricum to the Gentiles.

A.      I must share Jesus, not doctrine, not religion, not tradition, not church. Jesus is my message.

P.       Father; I invite you into my life. Come in and reside and transform me into the image of Christ. Amen.

God hates sin!

The word "hate" is used 87 times in 85 verses in the King James Bible. There is much to learn about God from these references. In Proverbs 6:16 there is a list of things that God hates. The first thing that God has on this list is; A proud look. This is conceit, arrogance, self importance or in a nut shell pride. God hates this sinful aspect of pride. We hate this as well when we see it in others. We should hate pride, our false pride, our selfish pride. This pride is a sinful pride and will lead us into hell. Why does God list pride first? Pride was the sin of lucifer. 

S.O.A.P.

4-6-2015         Romans 14:1-3

S.       1 Him that is weak in the faith receive ye, but not to doubtful disputations.2 For one believeth that he may eat all things: another, who is weak, eateth herbs.3 Let not him that eateth despise him that eateth not; and let not him which eateth not judge him that eateth: for God hath received him.

O.      The weak and the strong serving together in harmony.

A.      We all grow spiritually at different paces. Tolerance and patience are needed to aid each other in this effort. We must all work together as we strive for perfection.

     P.       Father in Heaven; teach me patience and understanding for I am weak and need your                         strength. Amen. 

Sin is not a secret!

Do I own this "stuff" or does it own me? Cleaning out the garage should be rewarded with some kind of national honor! How do I manage to haul off three truck-loads of, I don't need this any more, and still have more than the garage can hold? I still park two cars in this garage so I only use the three walls for storage. One wall gets Christmas decorations, another is for kitchen overflow and the last is a catch all for yard and garden stuff. Listen to me complaining when I should be praying; Lord teach me to get along with less, Amen. Lord, deliver me from the need to horde and if greed is my base desire, clean my spiritual garage, Amen.

S.O.A.P.

1-13-2015      Romans 3:19-27

S.       19 Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. 20 Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin. 21 But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; 22 Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: 23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; 24 Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: 25 Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; 26 To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus. 27 Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith.

O.      Old Testament law reveals sin but Jesus reveals righteousness. All are under sin and only faith in Jesus will justify.

A.      The knowledge of sin is resident in my soul and every soul. Man doesn’t need a law to reveal sin to him. The Holy Spirit is our spokesman, speaking directly to our heart. We can resist, explain away, ignore, close our mind and in a thousand ways block our knowledge of sin but nothing will change the fact that we do know what sin really is. If we don’t accept Jesus as Lord and Saviour we will receive the results of our sin. Listen to the voice of God, admit, confess and convert.

P.       Father; speak again to me and any who rea this prayer about the dangers of sin and its results. I seek to be clean in your eyes and I long for the words, “well done”. Amen.  

Being Judged?

Why are people so afraid of being Judged? What could be so evil or dangerous living inside folks that they have a phobia of it being brought to light? I welcome judgement, in fact, I judge myself every day. I judge that I am useless and ignorant and need God to aid me in every aspect of life. If God is powerful enough to erase my sin and clean my record at an alter of repentance then he is powerful enough to keep me holy! I will put my life in his hands, trust his advice, obey his commands and with his help thrive. Only people with something to hide are afraid of being judged.

9-16-2014      Mark 2:1-4

S.       1 And again he entered into Capernaum after some days; and it was noised that he was in the house.2 And straightway many were gathered together, insomuch that there was no room to receive them, no, not so much as about the door: and he preached the word unto them.3 And they come unto him, bringing one sick of the palsy, which was borne of four.4 And when they could not come nigh unto him for the press, they uncovered the roof where he was: and when they had broken it up, they let down the bed wherein the sick of the palsy lay.

O.      As Jesus is preaching to a crowded houseful four men brought a sick man to be healed. The house was too full to enter so the men opened the roof and lowered the sick man down to where Jesus was preaching.

A.      Extra effort may be required to bring people into the presence of Jesus. We must be willing to press on and overcome any obstacles.

P.       Father; strengthen my resolve and undergird my tenacity to overcome. Reveal the alternate methods that I might use to reach people in difficult circumstances and lead them to you. Amen.  

Doctrine

6-12-2014      Acts 15:1-3

S.       1 And certain men which came down from Judaea taught the brethren, and said, Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved.2 When therefore Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and disputation with them, they determined that Paul and Barnabas, and certain other of them, should go up to Jerusalem unto the apostles and elders about this question.3 And being brought on their way by the church, they passed through Phoenicia and Samaria, declaring the conversion of the Gentiles: and they caused great joy unto all the brethren.

O.      This clash of doctrine sends Paul to Jerusalem to settle the matter. Along the way to Jerusalem Paul shares the news of gentile conversion and this brings much joy.

A.      Joy should always be the product men’s lives being saved by faith in Jesus. Doctrines are a necessary product of growth and development within the church.

P.       Father; lead me to people that I can help find salvation and joy. Give me the message and the method to properly share your love, hope and joy through Jesus. Amen. 

Doctrine

5-29-2014        Acts 13:12

S.       12 Then the deputy, when he saw what was done, believed, being astonished at the doctrine of the Lord.

O.      Confronting sin brings a man to repentance and belief in Jesus.

A.      Sin must be revealed and dealt with in a public manner.

P.       Father; give me wisdom and lead me by your Holy Spirit to deal with sin. Amen.

When man takes credit

5-26-2014      Acts 12:21-25

S.       21 And upon a set day Herod, arrayed in royal apparel, sat upon his throne, and made an oration unto them.22 And the people gave a shout, saying, It is the voice of a god, and not of a man.23 And immediately the angel of the Lord smote him, because he gave not God the glory: and he was eaten of worms, and gave up the ghost.24 But the word of God grew and multiplied.25 And Barnabas and Saul returned from Jerusalem, when they had fulfilled their ministry, and took with them John, whose surname was Mark.

O.      Herod is judged by God and dies. The church grows and Mark travels with Barnabas and Saul.

A.      Man should never take credit for the mighty works of God. When God uses me to deliver a message, a healing or prophesy I will be careful to give the glory to God. I am a vessel, to be filled and refilled, poured out and filled again and again, a vessel not an angel or king or anything that is worthy of exultation.

P.       Father in Heaven; remind me of the danger of pride and self-exultation. Reveal the path for me to walk that will truly bring glory to you. Help me in my weakness to be courageous and submitted under your loving will. Amen. 

5-18-2014      Acts 11:19-21

S.       19 Now they which were scattered abroad upon the persecution that arose about Stephen travelled as far as Phoenicia, and Cyprus, and Antioch, preaching the word to none but unto the Jews only.20 And some of them were men of Cyprus and Cyrene, which, when they were come to Antioch, spake unto the Greeks, preaching the Lord Jesus.21 And the hand of the Lord was with them: and a great number believed, and turned unto the Lord.

O.      Holy Ghost filled Gentiles are now preaching to anyone and everyone that will listen. Many are being turned to the faith. Up to this point the message was only being told to the Jews by those fleeing persecution in Jerusalem.

A.      Even when I am in difficult situations the message must be spread. I must look to the Holy Spirit in my problems and difficulties to help me share Jesus.

P.       Father; Fill me to the full today, anoint my mind, hands and voice to preach Jesus. Amen.

Hard Preaching

4-7-2014              Acts 2:22-28

S.            22 Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know: 23 Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain: 24 Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it. 25 For David speaketh concerning him, I foresaw the Lord always before my face, for he is on my right hand, that I should not be moved:  26 Therefore did my heart rejoice, and my tongue was glad; moreover also my flesh shall rest in hope: 27 Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption. 28 Thou hast made known to me the ways of life; thou shalt make me full of joy with thy countenance.

O.           Peter declares Jesus to be risen from the dead. He also reminds the Jews of what King David had spoken concerning Christ and how Jesus had fulfilled all that David said.

A.           Peter’s preaching was not easy to hear; he spoke of wickedness, he spoke of crime, he spoke of failure, he spoke of ignorance and he made all these statements, indicting his audience. I must preach the truth, not as man wants to hear it, but as God declares it.  I must use the Bible as my guide when preaching. Sin must be exposed and choices revealed. Peter spoke a clear, plain and straightforward message, and so shall I.

P.            Father God; teach me to preach your message in a clear, plain and straightforward manner. Teach me the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth: Only truth can set men free from sin. Amen.   

Peter's First Sermon

4-6-2014              Acts 2:12-21

S.            12 And they were all amazed, and were in doubt, saying one to another, What meaneth this? 13 Others mocking said, These men are full of new wine.14 But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and said unto them, Ye men of Judaea, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and hearken to my words: 15 For these are not drunken, as ye suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of the day. 16 But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel; 17 And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams: 18 And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy: 19 And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke: 20 The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before that great and notable day of the Lord come: 21 And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.

O.           Peter begins his first sermon; defending his brethren against wrong accusations, declaring Joel’s prophesy to be fulfilled and describing the “end of days”. Peter also opens the way to God to “whosoever” through Jesus, The Christ.

A.           Applying these scriptures will require a lifelong effort. I am one of the “whosoever” and very thankful for that. I am filled with the Holy Ghost (1968) and thankful for that. I must be living evidence of these two gifts in a lost and dying world. There is an “end of days” coming and I must be ready, prepare others to be ready, while never breaking fellowship with God.

P.            Father; you fill me with joy, peace and love: I am grateful. Speak to the world through me. I surrender all that I am to you. Amen.           

The Grave

3-26-2014           Matthew 27:55-61

S.            55 And many women were there beholding afar off, which followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering unto him: 56 Among which was Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James and Joses, and the mother of Zebedee's children. 57 When the even was come, there came a rich man of Arimathaea, named Joseph, who also himself was Jesus' disciple: 58 He went to Pilate, and begged the body of Jesus. Then Pilate commanded the body to be delivered. 59 And when Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, 60 And laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn out in the rock: and he rolled a great stone to the door of the sepulchre, and departed. 61 And there was Mary Magdalene, and the other Mary, sitting over against the sepulchre.

O.           Important women are witness to the death of Jesus. His body is placed in the tomb of a friend and follower then closed with a great stone.

A.           What was it like to witness this horrible execution? How did these disciples face their loss? Their world was turned inside out in less than one day. The healing, teaching, caring, loving leader of their faith was dead and buried. Shock, fear and un-belief must have overwhelmed them all. They gathered with each other to face an extremely uncertain future. I must keep my faith strong in terrible times of testing. I must assemble with other believers for their help and support.

P.            Father; I will never face the tests and trials that those first disciples went through because that work was finished on the cross. In my time of testing, please, send me brothers and sisters that will support, lead and love me through to victory. Bless the workers in your field with strength and courage. Send me to hurting souls….I know pain……and I know you. Amen.        

Who-so-ever

3-25-2014           Matthew 27:51-54

S.            51 And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent; 52 And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, 53 And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many. 54 Now when the centurion, and they that were with him, watching Jesus, saw the earthquake, and those things that were done, they feared greatly, saying, Truly this was the Son of God.

O.           The temple veil of separation is now split wide open. This gives “whosoever” entrance into the Holy of Holies. Graves are open, giving up the saints and a Roman Centurion declares Jesus to be the Son of God.

A.           I will declare Jesus as the Son of God, Lord of Lords, King of Kings and as my Savior. I will inform everyone possible of the Veil being removed and how anyone may enter into the Holiest place……and meet Jesus.

P.            Father; lead me to the people that are ready and need to hear about your love. Give me wisdom to speak your message in power and love. Amen.

Forsaken by God!

3-24-2014           Matthew 27:45-50

S.            45 Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour. 46 And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? 47 Some of them that stood there, when they heard that, said, This man calleth for Elias. 48 And straightway one of them ran, and took a sponge, and filled it with vinegar, and put it on a reed, and gave him to drink. 49 The rest said, Let be, let us see whether Elias will come to save him. 50 Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost.

O.           Darkness covered the earth as Jesus was dying. As God turned away from Jesus he was completely alone on the cross, alone, dying to pay the ransom for my soul. Jesus cries out in agony, and dies.

A.           I will never let myself forget the Cross where a sinless man died to redeem me. I deserve to be punished for all the wrong, the bad and the sin of my life. Jesus took the path to the cross and took my place there. All I need to do is ask Jesus, in faith…..believing, to forgive me my sin, abandon my sin (practice it never again) and live my life as the Holy Spirit directs. This is a reasonable requirement……..when standing and looking at the cross.

P.            Father; thank you for sending Jesus, thank you Jesus for dying on the cross for me. Thank you for sending your Holy Spirit to reveal my sin to me and thank you for wanting me as your son. Guide my mind and my heart that I may live a life pleasing to you. Amen.      

SOAP >> Matthew 27:32-36

S.         Matthew 27:32-36   32 And as they came out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name: him they compelled to bear his cross. 33 And when they were come unto a place called Golgotha, that is to say, a place of a skull, 34 They gave him vinegar to drink mingled with gall: and when he had tasted thereof, he would not drink. 35 And they crucified him, and parted his garments, casting lots: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, They parted my garments among them, and upon my vesture did they cast lots. 36 And sitting down they watched him there;

O.        This is a shortened record of the crucifixion of Jesus, not many details. Matthew was not a detail oriented writer. Jesus carried the cross as far as he could before Simon was called upon. Jesus was on the cross for a long time before they offered him vinegar. Watching him was necessary to complete their assignment.

A.        Once again I am reminded of all that Jesus suffered, for me and my salvation. I should have died on that cross. I was filled with sin. I was guilty. Out of a heart of love Jesus took my place to set me free!

P.         Dear Father above; how can mere words alone express my gratitude, my joy, my amazement and my appreciation? They Can’t! So I will commit to you my life… use me as you will… I surrender my all to you. Amen.  

My youngest daughter and her husband.

SOAP >> Matthew 27:11-26

S.         Matthew 27:11-26   11 And Jesus stood before the governor: and the governor asked him, saying, Art thou the King of the Jews? And Jesus said unto him, Thou sayest. 12 And when he was accused of the chief priests and elders, he answered nothing. 13 Then said Pilate unto him, Hearest thou not how many things they witness against thee? 14 And he answered him to never a word; insomuch that the governor marvelled greatly. 15 Now at that feast the governor was wont to release unto the people a prisoner, whom they would. 16And they had then a notable prisoner, called Barabbas. 17 Therefore when they were gathered together, Pilate said unto them, Whom will ye that I release unto you? Barabbas, or Jesus which is called Christ? 18 For he knew that for envy they had delivered him. 19 When he was set down on the judgment seat, his wife sent unto him, saying, Have thou nothing to do with that just man: for I have suffered many things this day in a dream because of him. 20 But the chief priests and elders persuaded the multitude that they should ask Barabbas, and destroy Jesus. 21 The governor answered and said unto them, Whether of the twain will ye that I release unto you? They said, Barabbas. 22 Pilate saith unto them, What shall I do then with Jesus which is called Christ? They all say unto him, Let him be crucified. 23 And the governor said, Why, what evil hath he done? But they cried out the more, saying, Let him be crucified. 24 When Pilate saw that he could prevail nothing, but that rather a tumult was made, he took water, and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, I am innocent of the blood of this just person: see ye to it. 25 Then answered all the people, and said, His blood be on us, and on our children. 26 Then released he Barabbas unto them: and when he had scourged Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified.

O.        The second stage of the trial; the Jews maneuvering before the governor to influence him into doing their bidding. Jesus is identified as the “King of the Jews” by the governor and Jesus becomes silent. The Jews have a criminal released (Barabbas) and Jesus is sentenced to be CRUCIFIED!

A.        Pilate and his wife knew that Jesus was innocent. From within their very souls the truth cried out to them. I must free my soul to listen and obey the voice of God crying out to me each day. My soul knows right from wrong even when my mind swayed by man-made ideas. The knowledge of sin is resident in the soul of everyone. Like the crowd in Pilate’s Judgment Hall we can be led into failure and sin when we fail to follow the truth. Only one thing blocks the voice of God, SIN. There is only one way to conquer sin, JESUS. Pilate may have washed his hands in water... but he was not made clean.

P.         Father; wash me clean today and re-new a right spirit within me. I will follow your Holy Spirit,  use me as you will. I surrender my will into your hands as your servant. Amen.  

Four of my sweet grand babies when they were still little.