Do You Know Jesus?

 

This is just a simple question that only requires a yes or no answer..........................

Do you know Jesus Christ? 

If you answered yes, hallelujah, praise the Lord!

If you answered no, here is the next question..............

Would you like to know Jesus Christ?  

If you answered yes or maybe you are just curious and want more information about this Jesus, here is a website that can take you through step by step and also connect you to someone who will answer any questions you may have.

                     https://peacewithgod.net/

Our world is becoming more and more confusing, violent and scary. Jesus can bring peace to your heart and give you hope for the future. Don't wait until it's too late - make a decision for Christ today ~ 

Man's Prayer Room

God Himself is here, in this inner room. The angels are here. This room opens out into and is in direct touch with a spirit space as wide as the earth. The horizon of this room is as broad as the globe. God's presence makes it so.  The tide of prayer sweeps quietly, relentlessly day by day.

This is the true Christian life. This man is winning souls and refreshing lives in far-off lands and in nearby places as truly as though he were in each place. This is the Master's plan. The true follower of Jesus has as broad a horizon as his Master. Jesus thought in continents and seas. His follower prays in continents and seas.

There comes to this man occasional evidences of changes being wrought, yet he knows that these are but the thin line of glory light that speaks of the fuller shining. And with a spirit touched with glad awe that he can help God, a heart full of peace and yearning, and a life fragrant with an unseen Presence he goes steadily on his way.

from Quiet Talks on Prayer by S.D. Gordon

Rooted in Prayer

Without prayer the Christian life, robbed of its sweetness and its beauty, becomes

cold and formal and dead; but rooted in the secret place where God meets and walks

and talks with His own, it grows into such a testimony of Divine power that all men

will feel its influence and be touched by the warmth of its love. Thus, resembling our 

Lord and Master, we shall be used for the glory of God and the salvation of our fellow men.

And that, surely is the purpose of all real prayer and the end of all true service.

E.M. Bounds, Purpose in Prayer

Increasing our Faith

from a blog by "Linda O."....................................

Over a year ago I briefly mentioned this topic, with a quote from Spurgeon’s “The Necessity of Increased Faith.”

The local pastor recently discussed an amazing story from his dear friend — the man’s daughter miraculously healed of Lyme’s disease (truly something to praise God for, something beyond all we can understand) — and in marveling at the amazing power of God, declared a hope for God to “increase our faith.”  The meaning he apparently attached was the general wish, hope, and nice thought, that God will continue to amaze us by showing the great things He can do in people’s lives and situations, such as this recent testimony of God’s healing.  It was a nice thought, but passive, lacking in depth and understanding as to how God accomplishes the increase in our faith.

It is an easy thing to say “Lord, increase our faith,” but through my own experience I realize that greater faith comes with diligence on our part. (James 4:8, Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.)  During my early years of Christian faith, I only understood the basic gospel message, salvation in Christ and having my sins forgiven.  Yet like most young, immature believers, I did not mature or increase in faith so long as I stayed in the same basic situation — singles group teaching and more socially-focused weekly study groups, and only casual Bible reading.  The lack of discipline and diligence in such a life led too often to emotional moments of despair and self-pity, doubting God while focusing more on self’s desires.  Increase of faith never just happens as we continue idly in a routine situation with lack of effort on our part.  Only since taking on more effort, listening to and reading good sermons and spending more time in God’s word, have I noticed true spiritual growth and increasing faith.  As with any growing believer, now I face far greater trials of faith than in those early years; yet the times of doubt and despair — though they still come — do not last nearly as long, and the way out comes to mind more readily: recalling specific Bible passages that answer to a particular personal difficulty and uncertainty; relating specific Bible situations to my own; understanding God’s Divine Purpose of the Ages.  Greater faith reflects on greater understanding, to take God at His word, fully trusting in what He promises concerning our glorious future and the great things yet to come.

Well said Spurgeon, concerning the increase of faith — in its extent, of what it will receive:

Usually, when we commence the Christian life, faith does not grasp much—it only believes a few elementary Doctrines. I find that many young converts have not gone much farther than believing that Jesus Christ died for sinners. By-and-by they get a little advanced and believe Election. But there is very little beyond that they receive—and it is not until many years that they believe the entire Gospel. Some of you, my Hearers, and a great many that are not my hearers are miserable little cramped souls—you have learned a cast-iron creed and you will never move out of it. A certain somebody drew up five or six doctrines and said, “There are the doctrines of the Bible,” and you believe these. But you do not want to have your faith increased—for you do not believe a great deal more that is in the Bible.
…I think, as we grow, we shall have our belief increased. Not only are there a few cardinal Doctrines that will be enough to steer our ship by, north, south, east, or west, but we shall begin to learn something about the north-west and north-east and that which lies between the four points! Many people, when they hear something a little contrary to what they have usually heard, say at once, “That is not sound.” But who made you a judge of what is sound?

So true that is.  (Spurgeon then went on to give a specific example of increasing faith — his then new understanding concerning the Millennial Kingdom.)  Thus, when the local pastor prays that God would increase our faith, it comes across as very shallow and insincere.  For he who casually says “increase our faith” doesn’t really want it — since he picks and chooses which parts of the Bible to believe, even declaring that those who want to “divide” in fellowship over differences in eschatology are being divisive about things as unimportant as food and drink.

A few more quotes concerning the connection between increase of faith and our understanding of the scriptures:
John MacArthur:   if you never get anything else, get this, your faith, your trust is based on your view of God. If you’ve got a little God, you’re not gonna trust Him. So if you want more faith, you get into the Bible. Find out what kind of a God you have, and that’ll increase your faith.

J.C. Ryle especially states the case concerning diligence and growing faith:

All that believers have is undoubtedly of grace. Their repentance, faith, and holiness, are all the gift of God. But the degree to which a believer attains in grace, is ever set before us as closely connected with his own diligence in the use of means, and his own faithfulness in living fully up to the light and knowledge which he possesses. Indolence and laziness are always discouraged in God’s word. Labor and pains in hearing, reading, and prayer, are always represented as bringing their own reward. “The soul of the diligent shall be made fat.” (Prov. 13:4.) “An idle soul shall suffer hunger.” (Prov. 19:15.)

Attention to this great principle is the main secret of spiritual prosperity. The man who makes rapid progress in spiritual attainments–who grows visibly in grace, and knowledge, and strength, and usefulness–will always be found to be a diligent man. He leaves no stone unturned to promote his soul’s well-doing. He is diligent over his Bible, diligent in his private devotions, diligent as a hearer of sermons, diligent in his attendance at the Lord’s table. And he reaps according as he sows. Just as the muscles of the body are strengthened by regular exercise, so are the graces of the soul increased by diligence in using them.

Do we wish to grow in grace? Do we desire to have stronger faith, brighter hope, and clearer knowledge? Beyond doubt we do, if we are true Christians. Then let us live fully up to our light, and improve every opportunity. Let us never forget our Lord’s words in this passage. “With what measure we use;” to our souls, “it shall be measured to us again.” The more we do for our souls, the more shall we find God does for them.

Discernment

Discernment is first of all a habit, a way of

seeing that eventually permeates our whole life.

It is the journey from spiritual blindness (not seeing

God anywhere or seeing Him only where we expect

to see Him) to spiritual sight (finding God everywhere,

especially where we least expect Him).

Ruth Barton

Discernment is a gift cultivated by a prayerful

life and the search for self-knowledge.

Ernest Larkin

Contemporary Christianity

In entering human history God shattered all previous conceptions of who God is and what people are meant to be.  In the New Testament we are presented with a God who suffers crucifixion, a Supreme Being with spit on his face.  What He went through in His passion and death is meant for me too; the invitation He issues is, "Don't weep for Me! Join Me! The life I have planned for Christians is a Christian life, much like the life I led.  I wasn't poor so that you  might be rich. I wasn't mocked so that you might be honored.  I wasn't laughed at so that you could be lauded.  I was revealing the Christian picture of man and woman, one that is meant to include you, too."  Paul wrote to the Colossians, "We are meant to fill up what is wanting in the suffering of Christ."

We get so used to the ultimate Christian fact - Jesus stripped, flogged and crucified - that we no longer see Him for what He actually is:  a living injunction to strip ourselves of earthly cares and worldly wisdom, all desire for human praise, greediness for any kind of comfort, spiritual consolations included; a living summons to let go of every kind of worldliness - including that which prefers the more attractive duty to the less attractive, which prods us to put more effort into relationships with the people we want to stand well with.  Even the last rag we cling to - the self-flattery that suggests that we are being rather humble when we disclaim any resemblance to Jesus Christ - even that rag has to go when we stand face-to-face with the crucified Son of Man.

The Relentless Tenderness of Jesus by Brennan Manning
 

Live Before You Die - day 7

"And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart" (Gal 6:9).

If we desire to discover God's will for our lives, we must learn to recognize the characteristics of His will. 

God has already gone to great lengths to reveal to us in His Word what His will is for everyone - I call this the "standard will of God."  But in addition to His standard will, God has something tailor-made for each of our lives.  I call this the "specific will of God."

The specific will of God for your life will never go against His standard will - what He has already revealed to us in His Word.

God has a "good" will for your life, but He also has a "perfect" will.  His perfect will and the blessings that accompany it are reserved for those who are willing to be radically obedient and to wait when necessary.  There are moments when God's way will seem so difficult, so prolonged, and so unrewarding, while our idea will seem much easier, much quicker, and so much more enjoyable.  But it is only an illusion.

Finding the will of God always requires faith for the impossible and a childlike dependence upon Him.  The Bible is filled with the accounts of men and women who found their destiny in the perfect will of God by doing things that were impossible for them to do on their own.

God has given us the freedom to choose whether or not we are going to follow His will.  Settling for less than God's best for our lives is often the easy road, and good things are often the greatest enemy of the best things.  There is a perpetual conflict in the Christian life between what is "good" and what is "God."  Whenever we choose to disobey and do things our own way, something is lost that can never be restored.  God will forgive and heal, but He will not turn back the hands of time.

Many people have a vision given to them by the Lord.  But a vision that is not embraced and nurtured through the appropriate season of preparation will invariably die.  When God gives a vision, we must take some kind of action, or that vision will never become anything more than a fantasy.

One of the biggest misconceptions about discovering the will of God is that if something is truly part of God's plan for you, there will be no struggle involved in accomplishing it.  That is a myth!  If God has called you to do something, you will almost certainly encounter a significant amount of struggle.  God may actually even allow failures along the way, because He is more interested in the worker than He is the work.  The journey is an important process that matters very much to God.  The process of following Him in obedience, step by step, through many unknowns, trials, and difficulties, is a significant part of our development and preparation.  God uses the journey to teach us faith, to refine our character, and to equip us for the greater challenges that lie ahead.

Don't make the mistake of thinking, even for a moment, that just because you don't know today what God's will is for your life that you are not making any progress.  Something is happening right now.  Your faith is being stretched, and your patience is being tried.  Your spiritual ears are being tuned as you listen to hear the voice of God's Spirit.  God always prepares us in advance for what He has in store for us! That process may be uncomfortable, but it is necessary nonetheless.

Daniel Kolenda, Live before you die