Archives
You are currently viewing archive for January 2010
|
January 26, 2010 11:19 AM
Posted By Pastor Ron
|
Ephesians 4:30-32
This is the Christian walk at its best. Following in the footsteps of Jesus Christ, as the scripture says He forgave you and I for all our sinful nature. Not just for something we may have said to someone but for everything we have done that is displeasing to Him. And we are to follow Him and be forgiving to others. Today as I have prayerfully studied this scripture, I was quickly reminded of something that had taken place just last week in my life. I watched a dear friend die. I knew as they took him off the ambulance while medical technicians worked hard to revive my friend, he was gone. As I watched my mind drifted to the many years we have known each other. Some really good times and some not so good. We have been apart for a few months lately but we reconnected last month through email. I am glad that we did. My first words written to my friend were words of forgiveness as I had become aware of situation and had not been there for him. His response, "brother, we have no problems", you see that is forgiving one another in action. Then my friend said, "we will always be brothers, never to change based on time, distance or circumstances." The friend was a long time firemen.
The purpose of telling this story is we Christians need to be more forgiving of one another. Speaking about others with malice, bitter words should not even be a part of the Christian vocabulary. When we feel a need to talk about others, invite the other person into the conversation. And then Christians we must set the example and be kind to one another, tender hearted and forgiving. My friend the firemen, we always were not tender hearted to one another, sometimes bitter and angry words would be spoken, and to hear the words, no problem here my brother. Tender words from the heart, forgiving as God has forgiven us. Thank You Lord Jesus.
|
|
January 12, 2010 11:20 AM
Posted By Pastor Ron
|
Psalm 118:4-9
Not much to really say today. God is so good and speaks so clearly from His word, He really does not need any follow up on my part. Just knowing that He is on my side, I need not fear anything.
It has been a challenging week already, hospital visits have been many and one dear saint is prepared to enter into her eternal home. No matter how many times you visit with families who are facing this it wears on the heart of this pastor. So to hear the Lord say His mercy endures forever, how beautiful and uplifting. Calling on the Lord during those times of distress, He will answer, He is on your side, I will not fear, what can man do to me? Psalm 118:7 the Lord is among those who help me vs 8, It is better to trust in the Lord then to put confidence in man.
When I was younger and we would play kickball, it was important to have the right player on your side to win. It is so good to know that the Lord is on your side, that brings victory to every believer. We just need to pick Him, pray and receive Him today.
If you are facing times of stress, call on the Lord, He will answer and put you in the best position to get through the difficulties. Talking with wonderful people who are seriously struggling with life issues, like when suicide becomes a direction to even consider, call on the Lord. A child who may be suffering physically and the doctors are saying not much more we can do, call on the Lord. The life experience that comes upon you all of a sudden and you are told, it is cancer, heart disease, things that can not be corrected in our eyes, call on the Lord. Psalm 118:6 "The Lord is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me?
What ever your situation is today, as I have discovered just in two days, facing those life changing experience I have mentioned, calling on the Lord as He is on my side and yours, that settles it.
A prayer was answered, as I write this I am reminded of a man who came to church searching for prayer a serious operation was to place the next morning. Men surrounded our dear friend in a small room in the church, laid hands upon and prayed for our dear friend. The operation went faster then first expected and the situation, well, the call was made the Lord heard and all is well.
It is better to trust in the Lord. Thank You Jesus for speaking to me, while facing those distressful moments, truly life changing experience, to see You do an awesome thing supplying the needs of those truly going through those difficult times.
His mercy will endure forever.
Pastor Ron
|
|
January 6, 2010 9:24 AM
Posted By Pastor Ron
|
The Assurance Test
1 John 5:1
“Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves Him who begot also loves him who is begotten of Him.”
Do you know for sure that you are a born again Christian? The born again phrase has at times been the joke of the secular world and often misunderstood in the religious community. Being truly born again, Jesus says this, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
In my small brain that tells me that if you are not born again, as the Lord describes in John 3, then you can not enter into heaven. So how do we know if we are born again? Thank you for asking. Take the test called the assurance test.
First, the Lordship test: 1 John 2:3 “Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments.” The operative word here is keep. We all will fall to the sins of this world. Matthew 14:28-31 the man Peter who walked closely with God was walking on water while he kept his eyes on Jesus, then he took his eyes off Jesus and began to sink into the troubles of the storm in his life. That is what happens to us, we take our eyes off of Christ and sink into our troubles. Is He the Lord of your life, keep your eyes upon Him. The first assurance test question, is Jesus the Lord of your life?
Second, the fellowship test: 1 John 3:14 if you are born again, that says you have passed from death into life eternal (John 5:24), born again, you will love the brother. Hebrews 10:23-25, Never waiver, Christ has promised to those born again will see His kingdom. The Fellowship test says that if you Love the God, pass the Lordship test, you will pass the fellowship test. Heb. 10:24 we are to stir up love and good works in each other, verse 25 says we do this when assemble ourselves together. That is the church. Pass the fellowship test attend your local new testament church.
Third, the relationship test: 1 John 5:11-13, when one is born again as Jesus Christ has taught in John 3, we begin not an experience with religion, we begin an experience with a relationship with the son of God. Eternal life is in the Son, Jesus Christ and if you are born again, you have the Son, Jesus Christ in your heart, you have life eternal.
Can you pass the assurance test, only you can answer these 3 simple questions? Allow me to close with John 1:12-13 “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name. who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor the will of man, but of God.”
If you want to be sure today that you are born again visit www.odcchurch.com
Do You Know Jesus?
Have a great day in the Lord, take the test, Jesus loves you and so do I.
|
|
January 5, 2010 3:47 PM
Posted By Pastor Ron
|
2 Timothy 1:9
"who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began,"
A letter from a mentor who is in prison. That is where Paul writes to Timothy a letter to encourage Timothy.
As we begin this new year Christians should reflect on where you have been and where you see God taking you on this journey in life. Often we will face attacks of the world. When we face such things as the health challenges, finances in trouble, a relationship going bad, maybe a job promotion you feel should be yours yet it was given to someone else, honestly think of those who have recently lost their job. And then you hear about a little child a beautiful child stops breathing, mom and dad suffering through such a moment. Just one brick wall after another and it seems as all the work you put into the day and a brick wall stops you dead in your tracks. Paul reminds us God has saved us first and most important. If you have heard Romans 10:13 or read it yourself you know what it means to be saved. That salvation experiance is being saved from God's judgement not the trouble of the world that we all face. God has saved those who He has called and those who have answered the call. It is like when the telephone rings if we don't answer it, then we don't know who or why the call was made. God is calling people to come to repentence so they may be saved from the judgement we all deserve due to the sin in our lives. There is nothing anyone of us can do to work or attempt to earn a place with God.
It is all according to His purpose and the grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus.
So to conclude, if we understand that as a Christian we are saved by God, called to serve by God and it is not anything we do and everythiing He does according to His purpose for our lives.
So when you hear I got your back, put your trust in the Lord the one who has saved you and called you, if what you do is centered around His purpose for your life, know that Jesus Christ has your back always.
Be blessed in Jesus name,
Pastor Ron
|
|
|
|
