THE FLOWERS WILL COME

Let us start this service by welcoming you to this 24/7 week long, online church service. Everyone is welcome in this place. This has certainly been an exciting two weeks, hasn't it? Two weeks ago we reached out to the lost. We presented Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior to them. Our invitation to the nonbeliever is sincere and heartfelt. We know as believers there is only one way to eternal life with our heavenly Father and that is through his Son, Jesus Christ.

Many people believe Jesus was a good man and some would even say a great role model. Yet, they do not believe he is the only son of God or the only way to eternal life. This is troubling to them because it seems confusing and contradictory. And guess what? It is!! I often mention this because I felt the same way just days before God opened my eyes to him and saved me from my sin. My future destination at that time was spiritual death and the lake of fire. Jesus changed all that.

Jesus explains who he really is and puts to rest all these questions in no uncertain terms in John 14:1-4. Let's read it carefully together. Jesus speaking:

“Let not your heart be troubled: Ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions: If it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you unto myself; that where I am there ye may be also. And wither I go ye know, and the way ye know.”

Jesus is telling us very clearly do not be troubled. In other words, be at peace. Believe in God and yes, believe in Him (Jesus). Jesus is also saying because of your belief in him, he will prepare a place for you to always be with him. In John 14:5, Thomas questions Jesus about this.

“Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not wither thou goest and how can we know the way?”

Isn't that the eternal question, my friends? How can we know the way? The way to what, you might ask. Eternal life, my good people, eternal life. Jesus gives Thomas, as well as us, the answer. John 14:6.

“Jesus saith unto him, (and us) I am the way, the truth, and the life: No man cometh unto the Father but by me.”

Can it be any more clear than that? Now this presents a problem for those who say Jesus is a good man and a role model, but do not believe he is the only way to God (the Father), doesn't it? No one can be a good man and role model if they are a liar!!! Jesus declares God as his Father and himself as the only way to him. Is Jesus lying, my friends? Of course not!! You can't have eternal life through any other way than by accepting Jesus into your heart, repenting of your sin, and confessing Jesus as Lord of your life. So nonbeliever, you are now being offered one more chance to choose life eternal. What is your answer? I will be waiting for your answer by e-mail at BrotherBob@theSpiritofWisdom.org. Listen to me!! This may be your last chance!! No one knows the time or place that death will strike. God bless you, my non-believing friends, be good to yourself – choose Jesus and choose eternal life today.

Then, last week we ministered to believers who for whatever reason have taken their eyes off of their first love, Jesus Christ. The cares of this world, sickness, poverty, bad relationships, circumstances and situations have basically stolen their peace of mind and faith in their Lord and Savior. Many of them now question if God still loves them. Some have slipped back into the very same sin God delivered them from. One thing we can clear up right now. I am proclaiming to you by the authority of my calling to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ, God loves you just as much today as the day he saved and redeemed you. Do you remember that day?

I know if I was talking to some of you in person, you would ask: “Brother Bob, what has happened to me?” My answer my brother or sister, is that you have taken your eyes off the one who saved you and have put them on this world with all its trappings. Your trust in God has weakened. Maybe you expected God to move a certain way in your situation and it didn't happen. Perhaps you prayed for healing, yet still are sick. Maybe you prayed for God to move in a relationship that now seems impossible to repair. The bills are coming in. You prayed for finances, yet all you see is a stack of unpaid bills and bill collectors hounding you on every hand.

I understand what you are saying because I and most believers I know have gone through these things too. So what is the answer? The first thing that God impresses on me is trust. Let me be a little more clear. Trust in God because he is faithful.

Remember the poem last week? “Spring has sprung, the grass is riz, I wonder where the flowers is?” The key here is Spring has arrived, but it doesn't look like it. The grass is not green yet and where are the flowers? Doesn't that sort of seem like the promises of God and his Word? We see the promises, yet where are they? Well, one thing I can tell you, my friends, you know the flowers will come. Now I am telling you, just as surely as the flowers will bloom in just the right time, so will God perform His promises made to you through his Word and they will come to you just in time. Let's see what God's Word says about trust. Psalms 143:8.

“Cause me to hear thy loving kindness in the morning; for in Thee do I trust: Cause me to know the way wherein I should walk; for I lift up my soul unto thee.”

What this Psalm is saying is: If you don't feel able to be close to God at this time, believer, ask God to cause you to hear from him. Incline your ear to him and listen to his loving kindness ring loudly into your ears and soul again. Let God cause you to know how to walk with him again. Why? Because you trust him and believe his Word is true. I love the song about Lazarus that says - “God was four days late and he was right on time.”

Start today, my friends. Trust God again. Ask for forgiveness for turning away from him and then turn back to him and keep trusting him no matter what!!

Let me relate a story to you. We were visiting relatives in Virginia and we took the kids for a drive up this winding, hilly road when we saw a roller rink. The kids wanted to go roller skating that evening. The hours were 6-10 p.m. We told them they could walk there in the daylight and we would pick them up at closing time. The children left for their walk to the roller rink. We didn't expect to see or hear from them until 10 o'clock or later. But, about forty to forty-five minutes later we saw them returning with sad looks on their faces. What happened? They said they walked and walked, but couldn't find the roller rink. I laughed and said “It's on the road you walked on. There are no turn-offs.” I got them into the car and told them to show us where they stopped and turned around. After a short while they said “Right here, Dad.” I had to admit, I didn't know where the roller rink was either. So I said, “We'll just go around the next bend and turn around and go back home.” Well, guess what? We went around the next bend and there was the roller rink. We had all given up just one bend away. That, my friends, is how we sometimes are with God.

We pray, we trust and just before our blessing is to arrive, we give up and turn away from God. Does this make any sense at all to you, my friends? Yes, the flowers will come and if you keep trusting, God will meet your every need. That's the way it works. Come on back to God. He loves you and is waiting to welcome you back, and in that you can trust.

Next week I will be talking with believers who are doing their best to live for God. God knows who you are and He is so very happy with you. He loves your faithfulness, and most of all, He loves you.

God Bless you,
Bro. Bob

COME BACK HOME MY CHILD

What a great time of year this is. It is Spring. Doesn't that sound good? Praise God, Winter is on the way out. Spring with all of its indications of new and fresh beginnings has arrived. What better time to say welcome to your 24/7, week long online church service. Everyone is welcome in this place.

This online church has been a source of new beginnings for many of you. We have received e-mails and comments telling us of how these anointed services have renewed people's desires to learn more about God. One e-mail said, they now desire to live fully for God and to be all He desires them to be. What more could anyone want?

In the past weeks we have preached and taught about wisdom, understanding and love. Last week, we talked to the unbeliever, urging them to accept Jesus Christ into their hearts. Would that not be a great new beginning, my friends? New life in Christ replacing the spiritual death that Satan had them trapped in. This week, we are once again turning our attention to the believer. It has been quite a journey, hasn't it my good Christian, child of God?

Remember the day, weeks and months before accepting Christ into our hearts? No matter how good we thought we were, there was always a cloud of condemnation and sin following us. We weren't always sure of what it was, but we always felt its dark presence. Many of us had praying parents or praying grandparents, and even though we loved them, we thought they were a little weird or just too religious, didn't we? Little did we know the power or effect their prayers would have on us.

You see, the ones that have been praying God's word for our salvation understood things we did not. They understood that praying the word of God over us, that those words would not come back void. Check it for yourself. In Isaiah 55:11 God said:

“So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: It shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.”

Does it not make spiritual sense if we pray God's word and intent for someone, that prayer that goes forth from our mouth will not return void. Thank God for those that prayed so faithfully for us. Does not that principle encourage us to pray for our loved ones? God, please save our families, friends and yes even our enemies. Reveal yourself to them, give them eyes to see and ears to hear, that they may be saved. I'm talking about new beginnings, my friends.

Do you remember the day you accepted Jesus into your heart and confessed him as Lord of your life? Do you remember how clean and pure you felt? The feeling of being totally cleansed of all sin was real and true, wasn't it? John wrote a letter expressing this to the churches of his time. Turn with me to I John 1:9.

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

No wonder you felt so good! No wonder you couldn't contain the joy you felt. You knew you were saved from your sin. Your were set free. Do you remember how your Bible became alive to you? The realization that God's word was real and true? You began to attend church and to learn the things of God. God's desires became your desires. Why? Because you were delighting yourself in the Lord. Psalms 37:4 explains it best.

“Delight thyself also in the Lord; And he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.”

The point I am making here, you felt the closeness and love of God, didn't you? Remember how you witnessed to everyone who would listen? What a burden for souls you had. Praying came easy to you because you believed God would answer them. You saw a sick person and you automatically prayed for healing and not only that, you believed they would be healed. And many were, am I right? God living became a way of life. Sin, circumstances, situations, temptations had no control over you. You were a conqueror and had victory in your life, didn't you? You believed Isaiah 54:17 that says:

“No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord and their righteousness is of me saith the Lord.”

And guess what? You were right to believe this. However, that was then and this is now!! Today, defeat seems to loom bigger than victory. The cares of this world, including the economy, your finances, your health or the health of a loved one is consuming you with despair and thoughts of defeat. You notice the Bible that gave you so much delight and encouragement now sits on a shelf and sometimes gathers dust on it. Okay, just a quick note here. At the end of last week's message I said I was going to address believers who have gotten off the narrow road leading to victory and had gotten on the broad road to destruction, didn't I? I also said Jesus loves you and wants you back on track.

If this is not you, then pray for those I am now talking to. Jesus is reaching out to them. Now, to continue. You still love God, you know you do, but somehow the closeness is not there like it was. You find yourself slipping back into sin. Thinking thoughts and acting in ways you know God does not approve of. You want to feel close to God again, but don't. What happened? One thing that did not happen, my friend, is God did not move away from you.

I heard a story once about a man and his wife driving down the highway. This was in the day before bucket seats. The front seats of cars were just long seats where three people could sit in front. Or, where your sweetheart or wife could sit very close to you. Well, as they were driving along, the wife said to the husband “You notice we don't sit close to each other in the car anymore? We used to sit so close to each other. What happened?” The husband, who was driving, looked at her and gently said “Honey, I haven't moved one inch.” That could be God saying to you, my child, I haven't moved one inch away from you. But, you are moving farther and farther away from me. Why is this happening?

I understand there are pressures of this life coming against you daily. You turn on the news and it is all bad. You are afraid of losing your job. You have been betrayed by a Christian brother or sister, hurt by a church or a pastor or preacher. I don't know what is causing you to draw away from God. But this much I do know, unless you turn back to your heavenly Father, it will get worse. God is calling out to you this week through this preacher of the gospel. He wants you to have a new beginning. A new beginning that will restore joy and peace to you.

I am reminded of a poem, it goes something like this: Spring has sprung, the grass has riz, I wonder where the flowers is. One thing I can assure you!! There will be flowers, even though we don't see them yet. If you trust God again, I can assure you!! He will restore joy, peace, mercy and grace to you. You will walk in newness of life again. Come on back home, my child, come on back home.

God bless you,

Brother Bob

IT'S TIME, ISN'T IT?

I am so thankful to God for this day of salvation. Every morning when I wake up, I proclaim that Jesus is Lord!! I thank God every morning for another day of life. I promise God to walk in all the benefits of his gift of salvation to me. I also tell my heavenly Father, I will be accountable for my thoughts and actions for that day. In my morning conversations with God, I always mention you, my friends. I am so humbled and honored that God allows me to give forth his words of life to you.

I've had people question why I always say – Welcome to your 24/7 week long, online church service. Everyone is welcome in this place and I do mean everyone. The answer is very simple. God gave me those words to speak to you. He impressed on me to welcome everyone into his presence. Why? Because he loves you. Who am I talking to? You!! The unbeliever who has not accepted Jesus into your heart and life. I know you have many reasons for your denial and rejection of the Son of God. But, Jesus still loves you. He will still command this old preacher to give you his words of love, mercy and grace; knowing that his word can change you in an instant from spiritual death to spiritual life. Our heavenly Father knows you are on a road to eternal destruction and death.

My unbelieving friends, there are two forces in the world and only two. No middle ground. Those two forces are life or death. Life is headed up by God through his son Jesus Christ. Death is headed up by Satan, the deceiver. What do these two forces offer you? That would be good to know, wouldn't it? Remember, there is only life or death, no middle ground. Unbeliever, if you have a Bible, turn with me to John 10:10. If not, listen or read this carefully. Jesus speaking:

“The thief (Satan/devil) cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I (Jesus) am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.”

Let's back this up with another scripture. Deuteronomy 30:19. God the Father speaking:

“I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: Therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live.”

I know you have heard lots of religious things in your life, many of which turned you off. I also know you have seen professed Christians say one thing and act just the opposite. But, please stay with me here, my friends. I have often said the Bible is not so much a book about heaven or hell, but it is a book of eternal life or death. What does Satan want to steal and destroy from you? The answer: Everything!! Let me repeat that. Everything!! He wants to steal your family, your money, your job, your health and everyone or thing that you love. Who does he want to kill? You!! The forces of evil, led by Satan, desire to kill you physically and spiritually and separate you from God forever.

Satan hates God and he hates you, my friend. How does he destroy and kill you? By leading you into sin. What is sin? Anything that goes contrary to God's word. Remember earlier, I said Satan was a deceiver. He will cause you to believe sin is a pleasure to indulge in, but the Bible says sin is pleasure but only for a season. Eventually, as you continue to reject Christ, and continue in sin, you will receive the wages of sin and what it offers. What? Wages for sinning? Well, that sounds pretty good doesn't it? Let's take a look and see what the Word of God says about it. Romans 6:23.

“For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

There's your choice. Death or eternal life. God said in Deuteronomy 30:19, choose life. The scripture we just read says the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ. Back in John 10:10, Jesus said he came to the earth so you could have life more abundantly. I understand that to mean a fuller life on this earth and eternal life with God and his Son Jesus Christ. What is your choice today, my friend? Life or death?

I can honestly say, if you are reading or listening to this church service, God is calling you to Him. He desires to elevate you from being his creation to being his adopted son or daughter. Jesus will be your elder brother and you will be a member of the family of God. It's time, isn't it? Romans 10:9-10, tells you what to do to accept this free gift of salvation. The apostle Paul says:

“That if thou shall confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shall believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”

My friends, if you do not know Jesus, but feel the tug and pull of the Holy Spirit this instant, repeat the above words. But, only if you mean the words you are saying. God is faithful and he will save you from your sin. Now, if you have done that, tell someone right now. You know you want to. E-mail me today at BrotherBob@TheSpiritofWisdom.org. I will be so happy for you. Any questions? Feel free to ask. I will answer you.

Now believers. Let's turn to you. You know the joy of salvation, don't you? I truly believe the Spirit of Wisdom Ministries is going to lead many to Jesus. Here are your instructions for this week. E-mail everyone you know and tell them to read or listen to this week's message, especially the ones that do not yet know Jesus. God's word never comes back void, does it? I know there will be many who will soon be able to say in the words of an anointed song: Thank you Lord Jesus for saving me from what I might have been. I know I can truly say that and I'm sure you can also.

We haven't talked with nonbelievers much in the last few weeks. But church, let me tell you they are always on my mind and heart. This week I will be praying constantly in the spirit for the lost, your family and friends and mine. I'm praying for the lost that they may be saved. This is the Spirit of Wisdom Ministries passion. If you want us to pray for your loved ones, e-mail their names to me. I promise they will be lifted up to our heavenly Father for salvation and eternal life. Isn't God good?

Next week, believers, I will be reaching out to those who have gotten off the narrow road. Is that you? God still loves and cares for you. He just wants you back on track.

God Bless You,
Bro. Bob

GET WISDOM.....GET UNDERSTANDING

Welcome back to your 24/7 week long online church service. I'm sure you know by now, everyone is welcome in this place. You know, I am still basking in the goodness of God. The message that went forth last week regarding God's wisdom was so timely, wasn't it? You know folks, if we used God's wisdom in place of our own or other people's, we would truly be victorious in every area of our life.

Everyday we live on this earth we have the opportunity to either choose God's way or our own. Be wise, my friends, choose God's way. Proverbs 4:7 states it very clearly:

“Wisdom is the principle thing; therefore get wisdom and with all thy getting get understanding.”

Understanding of what? Everything pertaining to life and living. God wants you to understand everything the Bible teaches. Why? So you can be everything that God made you to be on the earth. Our heavenly Father thinks highly of you, my friends. How do I know that? Because of my understanding of what God did for us. Where did I get that understanding? Answer: From the direction book of life (the Bible).

The Bible tells me that God sent His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, to the earth to present the kingdom of heaven to us. John the Baptist knew this when he proclaimed the kingdom of God is at hand. Let's read it together. Matthew 3:1-2.

“In those days came John the Baptist preaching in the wilderness of Judea, and saying Repent ye: For the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

What was John actually saying here? He was proclaiming to anyone who would listen that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, was now on the earth to save us from our sins. That cry was “Repent, repent,” which in our terms of today means to turn away from your sin, whatever it may be and follow Jesus. The cry of the church today should be “Repent, my friends, Repent.” There is little time to delay. Look around you, people, what do you see? Am I not telling you the truth? Jesus, representing the kingdom of God, was here on a mission. That mission was to save God's most favored creation.....Man and woman.

Jesus was to be the perfect sacrifice for us, knowing that man could not (and still can't by the way) save himself. Jesus knew all along the torment, suffering and death by way of the cross was awaiting him. But, he was filled with joy. Let's read it for ourselves. Turn with me to 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.”

Do you understand, my friends? Jesus endured the cross and was filled with joy even while despising the shame of it all. Why? Because the joy he saw before him was you and me, redeemed by his being the perfect sacrifice for us. Now, he is set at the right hand of the throne of God, which proves that God accepted the sacrifice as payment in full for our sin. God made a way for us where there was no way. By accepting Jesus into our hearts, by asking God's forgiveness and by repenting of our sin, confessing with our mouth that we believe in our heart God raised Jesus from the dead, and by making him Lord of our life, we may be saved. That, my friends, is the understanding the Bible presents to you. Do you believe it? God's wisdom says, believe it. Man's wisdom, denies it!!

You know, Jesus himself proclaimed the same thing John the Baptist did. The only difference, John was talking about Jesus, while Jesus was talking about himself. Let's read about this in Matthew 4:17. Jesus heard about John the Baptist being imprisoned for proclaiming him as the savior of the world and Jesus began his ministry by backing up John. Let's read it together....Matthew 4:17.

“From that time (John's imprisonment) Jesus began to preach, and to say, repent: For the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

Does it not seem strange, my friends, that John the Baptist paved the way for Jesus by saying Repent? And, Jesus began his earthly ministry by saying Repent. Yet many, maybe even most churches today, will not even mention sin, or admonish people to repent by turning away from their sin. They will talk about blessings, money, status but rarely or never mention sin or repentance. I actually heard a well known preacher say on television, he doesn't talk about sin because people want to hear positive things. Many churches talk about being 'beyond the cross' as they take out altars. Yet put Starbuck's in their lobbies, or serve coffee in the sanctuary while the service is going on.

My heart is heavy as I preach this to you. I believe if Jesus was to come back today, he would toss those coffee urns out. He would admonish the church leaders as he did the money changers. Is nothing sacred anymore? He would restore altars that men could come forward to and cry out for forgiveness. A place where they could lay prostrate in complete submission before their living God. I believe Jesus would see preachers offering healings for money, and he would strip those preachers of all their pride and arrogance and tell them to depart from him unless they repented. Let me make myself very clear. I know there are good preachers of the gospel in this time period. But, I am afraid there are many more teaching and preaching false doctrine. I am confident there are local churches, whether they be in church buildings, store fronts or even in homes who are preaching the true gospel of Jesus Christ, Yet, I am just as confident there are many local churches preaching and teaching false doctrine and I know God is not pleased with them. Now, pastors and preachers, if this disgraceful shoe doesn't fit you, don't worry or concern yourself with what I just said. But, if the shoe fits, repent brother, repent.

The Spirit of Wisdom Ministry believes in healing for today. We believe Christians should prosper and be in good health, but as their soul prospers. Wealth with a lost soul is no wealth at all. Jesus put it the best in Matthew 7:33.

“But, seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”

Someone close to me once said “You sound like you hate the church.” But, just the opposite is true, my friends, I love the church. That is the reason I am calling out the preachers of false doctrine.

My mission this week is to inspire all who enter into this online church service to read your Bible, get wisdom and with that get understanding, so you will not be deceived. Use your Godly wisdom and understanding to help you select the church to attend and the preachers to listen to. God will bless you for it, I know He will.

God Bless you,
Bro. Bob

Prayer Requests: Please pray for David Patterson. David has rheumatoid arthritis and needs a healing touch from God. Please pray that God takes away all the pain and discomfort in David's body.

Michelle Joy - Please pray that God will give her favor in a personal situation. Pray that Michelle will stay strong in the faith.

Kathleen Warren - Please pray for a financial blessing and thank God for meeting her needs.

We have several prayer requests for salvation of friends, family, and loved ones. Please agree with us that God will honor these requests and reveal himself to the persons involved.