Sunday, January 24, 2010

STIR UP YOUR REMEMBRANCE

Thank you Lord for this day of life. Today is the day of salvation and we will live and abide in it. We will live in all the benefits, but we will also live in all of the accountability. Yes, Lord, we say yes to You!! Because of Your grace, mercy, and love given to us by our acceptance of your Son Jesus Christ of Nazareth, we can truly say we are blessed and we will give forth that blessing to others. You are worthy of all praise, Amen.

Welcome to all who enter into this, your 24/7 week long online church service. Everyone, and I do truly mean everyone, is welcome in this place. I hope you were able to pray the above prayer with me. God is a good God and He loves you so much.

I've been thinking all week about the love of God and how He brought me out of darkness into the light. One day I was lost, heading in a direct path to eternal separation from God. I had heard about God all my life from a praying mother, but I had in fact, chosen on purpose to reject Him. I filled my life with all the things of the world; alcohol, drugs, sex, money and philosophies of men. But, there was always an emptiness in me. There was always a nagging voice of despair, loneliness and a sense of emptiness that accompanied me no matter how much people liked me. No matter how many parties or so called 'good times' I thought I was having.

As a young child I would see preachers like Oral Roberts, A.A.Allen and Rex Humbard on television. They would preach about a saving, healing, delivering God. I thought I was just watching them because I liked good speakers. Little did I know, God was calling me to Him. I went from childhood to adulthood rejecting God time and time again, but God would not let me go. Thank you Lord. My rejection of God and His ways led to many disasters; alcoholism, the loss of a marriage, car wrecks, financial distress and bouts with depression. My friends, sin and not having God in your life will always take you further into darkness than you will ever care to go.

It is so true that the god of this world (Satan) has only one mission, and that is to keep us from giving our life to God. He is here to steal, kill and destroy you. John 10:10-11 explains this well. Jesus speaking:

“The thief (Satan) cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. I am the good shepherd: The good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.”

Abundant life takes you out of eternal death and separation from God, and places you into the family of God forever and ever. God does not just desire that you be His creation, but that you become an adopted son or daughter; a member of the Holy family of God. That is how much God loves you.

You might say, “Bro. Bob, why are you telling us these things?” The answer, my friends, is because I am hoping to bring remembrance to you about where you were before accepting Jesus into your life and where you are today. By expressing my remembrance, I hope to magnify yours, praise God.!! Turn to II Peter 1:12.

“Wherefore I will not be negligent to put you always in remembrance of these things, though you know them, and be established in the present truth.”

What is this present truth, my friends? It is Jesus and Him crucified on the cross, that we may live in Him and Him in us and have salvation from our past, present and future sin. It is forgiveness through the perfect sacrifice of the shed blood of Jesus and through no other thing or person that saves and completes us.

In 1976 on a Fall night, I was watching a preacher on TV. Not because I desired to hear about God, but to make fun of him. I remember the man of God calling out healings that were taking place during the telecast. I had a beer in one hand and was laughing at this preacher when all of a sudden he said “I believe God wants to save someone right now. Yes it is you.” I thought, not me!! The preacher then said “You may stay sitting or kneeled down and say this prayer with me.” My friends, there I was all alone in that living room and I found myself slipping off the couch onto one knee, still clutching that beer tightly, Satan's last grip on my life, or so it seemed. I caught myself and jumped up and just as I did, the preacher said “No, no, it's all right kneel back down, God is going to save you right now.” That night, right then and there, I accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and savior and I was born again by the Spirit of God. I now was a new creature in Christ Jesus!! I was free at last, free at last. There is a scripture that describes this, II Corinthians 5:17-18.

“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: Old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new and all things are of God who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation.”

One thing is for sure, my friends, Bro. Bob could never state it any more clearly than the above scripture. I was turned upside down and inside out. I knew that I knew, that I knew that I was and that I am saved. God is my Father, Jesus is not only my Savior and Lord, but He is my elder brother.

To be sure, the change was instant, but I am still a work in progress as we all are. However, I have this assucrance through the Word of God, Hebrews 12:2.

“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 is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

Yes, my assurance is in Jesus Christ, the author and finisher of my faith as He is yours, my good, believing friends. God is not finished with us yet, is He? Thank you Lord for being willing to forgive us when we fall, yet come back to You with repentance and a contrite spirit. Wow!! What an annointing there is on this message, my friends. I'm asking you to stir up your remembrance today. E-mail me and share with me your salvation experience. We will publish some of your testimonies with the online church family to encourage and inspire their own faith.

God is such a good God. The song “Amazing Grace” stands tall in my spirit all the time. Amazing grace, how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me. I once was lost but now I'm found, was blind but now I see..... When we've been there ten-thousand years, bright shining as the sun, we've no less days to sing God's praise than when we first begun. Thank you so much, my Lord for your love, grace and mercy we have received through your Son Jesus Christ.

Anyone out there who wants this salvation I've talked about, please e-mail me at BrotherBob@TheSpiritofWisdom.org. I promise to get back with you and help you with your decision.

God Bless you,
Bro. Bob

1 comment:

  1. When I was 17 I got pregnant. Nanny had the youth group over to her house all the time. They took me to the park and laid hands on me and I prayed that prayer and I was saved.

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