THE LORD GOD IS OUR STRENGTH [REPOST FROM 11-29-2009]

I'm sure by now most of the leftovers are gone. We certainly hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving. I hope your time with family and friends were fun and something to be thankful for. Welcome back to your 24/7, week long online church service. Everyone is welcome in this place.

We pray your holiday was filled with true thanksgiving for all of the blessings God has provided you during this past year. What a great God we serve!

As we enter the rest of the holiday season, let us always put God first. Let us always look to Him for guidance and direction. The past holiday (Thanksgiving) reminded us of how thankful we should be for our God and what He has done for us through His Son Jesus Christ.

You know, as we go forth during this year and next and beyond, we must not only give thanks, but we must always be mindful of who our strength is and who our praise should be directed to. By being thankful and walking in praise, our strength will see us through everything we have to face now and in the future. Let's look at the written Word of God for direction. Who is our strength? Psalms 28:7.

“The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise him.”

You know, often times I would ask God to give me strength, not realizing strength doesn't come from outside but from within. God is my strength and I pray God is your strength. Because our hearts trust in Him, we are helped. Anyone need any help out there? Because we know this help comes from our heavenly Father, why wouldn't we greatly rejoice in Him? And yes, my friends, we will praise Him forever and forever. Praise is the key to success in the upcoming New Year. Psalms 29:11 backs this up.

“The Lord will give strength unto his people; the Lord will bless his people with peace.”

Think about what this is saying. God is our strength and the above scripture says He shares His strength with us. Therefore, we must conclude God shares Himself with us. Is God great or what?? Our heavenly Father is worthy of all our praise. Glory be to God!!

Our prayer for you, my friends, is that God reveals Himself to you in a mighty way. That He gives you eyes to see and ears to hear. God is a present time God. He is not just a thought, or a God of history. He is and wants to be your strength in this present time and place. One burden I carry is for professed believers who either do not know, have been deceived, or choose to ignore that our heavenly Father desires us to receive His spiritual help in their present time problems of life.

It is so bad that even some major denominations and preachers do not preach the hope that God provides for today. What are your problems of life? Is it financial? Is it your family life, joblessness, sickness? Is it doubt and unbelief? Do you get the drift, my friends? If you listen to many believers today, you would think there was no present time help from God at all. Truthfully, I know believers who will not even ask God for help, because in truth they do not have faith to believe He will answer their prayer. What a shame! What a disgrace! What a lie from the pit of hell! Turn with me to Psalms 46:1.

“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.”

That is not me saying this, my friends. That is the Word of God!! God is our refuge, a place of safety to turn to, but most of all a very present help in trouble. What is the matter with these preachers who do not preach this? Jesus died on that cross for the joy that was set before Him. What was that joy, my good people? The answer – it was us – redeemed and set free from sin and death. Let's take a look at 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.”

Jesus is the source of all of our help. Why anyone would teach or believe that His sacrifice was not sufficient enough for us to believe that God is with us in this present time is beyond me. My friends, Jesus said “It is finished.” God is here today to help you just as He always has been. Salvation is for you today. Healing is for you today. Deliverance from evil spirits is here for you today. Financial help is here for you today. Help with your family situation is here for you today. God is the same today as He was in the beginning. He is all sufficient for you. Turn to Him this day in your time of need. Believe what He says in His Word is true, and praise Him in all things. Psalms 40:1-4 helps sum it all up.

“I waited patiently for the Lord; and he inclined unto me and heard my cry. (That is our God!) He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings (Through His Word) and he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: Many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the Lord. Blessed is that man that maketh the Lord his trust, and respecteth not the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies.”

There it is, my friends. Don't believe the lies. God is here for you in every area of your life if you believe and trust Him. What does it mean to trust in Him? Turn to Habakkuk 3:17.

“Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labor of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat, the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls: Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation. The Lord God is my strength and he will make my feet like hinds' feet, and he will make me to walk upon mine high places. To the chief singer on my stringed instruments.”

This scripture says no matter what, trust God. So what do you say? How about saying “My God, I believe you and I trust you and I praise you all the days of my life. Amen!!”

God Bless You,
Bro. Bob

THANKSGIVING OR TURKEY DAY? [REPOST FROM 11-22-2009]

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Do you really believe another year has gone by already? We know everyday is a day of thanksgiving, don't we? I am especially thankful to God this year for you. God has allowed me to be a servant to you. He has given me the honor of preaching His Word to you. I can honestly say, I welcome each and everyone of you to this 24/7, week long online church service. Our motto, or lead slogan and truth is everyone is welcome in this place!

Last week we preached an anointed message to believers, talking about how to have peace and joy all through the upcoming holiday season. Thank God that through our belief in Jesus that peace is available to us, but what about the unbeliever? This has been on my mind all week. So this message is mostly geared to those that do not know God, are not believers and followers of Jesus Christ (the only begotten Son of God), and who do not know anything about the leading of the Holy Spirit.

There will be millions of families gathering together this upcoming Thursday for food, football and enjoying each others company. Many of these families will give God thanks for their meal and the blessings God has given them in the past year. The sad fact though, is that thousands of families will eat, laugh and drink without even saying a prayer of thanks over their meal. There will be no acknowledgment of God or His Son. Yet, they have gathered for Thanksgiving. How sad is that, my friends?

So the question is – who or what are you giving thanks to on this Thanksgiving Day? You know, at one time there was an effort by many misguided people to call Thanksgiving – Turkey Day. The truth is, if you are not a true believer in God and His son Jesus, Turkey Day is a better title for your celebration this Thursday. My question to you, my unbelieving friends is: On this Thanksgiving Day, who if anyone are you giving thanks to? Your job? Your friends? Your mate? Which I might add, my good people, are all subject to change. Perhaps you give thanks for or to nothing or no one. Welcome to Turkey Day!

You know, one of the benefits of preaching to an online church is that I really never always know who is tuning in and who is benefiting from the message God has given me to share with you. I do know this one thing. God gives me anointed messages that are intended for someone. His Word never returns void. Please turn to Isaiah 55:11.

“So shall my word be that goth 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.”

My friends, God has impressed me to give forth this message to unbelievers, the unsaved, so I know there will be at least one unbeliever and perhaps more who will be reading this message this week. God loves you so much that He is addressing you right now. He wants to save you from your sins today. Why? Because the wages of sin is death!! Please turn to Romans 6:23. This is for you, my unbelieving friends.

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

What better time to accept this gift from God than this holiday season? Talk about something to be thankful for! All, let me repeat All of your sins forgiven and eternal life with God through His Son Jesus Christ. This is backed up by John 3:14-16. John speaking through a letter to the churches near Ephesus around 90 AD. Now, please read this with me.

“And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, (refers to Numbers 21:5-9. The serpent represents Satan, who is the originator of sin). even so must the son of man be lifted up: That whosoever believeth in him (Christ and what He did on the cross) should not perish but have eternal life. For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life.”

Can it be more clear? God, the creator of all that is, even you, loves you so much He has provided the way for you to have eternal life with Him. The peace and joy I talked about with the believers can also belong to you.

You want something to be thankful for, my friends? You can have all the above for free. This could be the best Thanksgiving Day ever for you. Accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior today. I guarantee this Thanksgiving Day will be like no other as you sit down at the feast, you will really know what being thankful means. You will be so fulfilled with the love of God, you may not even recognize yourself. The love for your family and friends will be like never before. If no one else says the prayer over the food, I bet you will. Why? Because finally, you will know who you are giving thanks to: Your, and I did say correctly, Your heavenly Father. You will give thanks to Jesus for dying on that cross and rising from the dead so you may be saved. He was the only substitute acceptable to redeem you.

You will be more thankful than you can ever imagine for everything God has done for you. And, guess what? The food will taste better, you still can watch the football game and you can still enjoy your friends and family. This message is just for you, unbeliever. Take it to heart!! You are not in this online church service for nothing. This is your date with destiny. Don't let it pass you by.

Thanksgiving or Turkey Day? Which one do you want to observe this week? It is your choice. I would suggest you go to the very first message ever given by this ministry, entitled “Choose Wisely.” This is your week, my friend. God is speaking to you. Why? Very simple. He created you, He loves you, He wants to count you as one of His children and not just one of His creations. He wants you to have eternal life with Him. He does not want you to perish and be separated from Him forever.

This church will be praying for you and we believe this will be the best Thanksgiving ever for you. The turkey will taste good, but no longer will it be Turkey Day for you. Do you want this? Turn to Romans 10:9,13-14.

“That if thou shall confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.” “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how, shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher?" God is using this preacher to give you this Word.

That is how you do it. Now, confess with your mouth and believe in your heart that Jesus is Lord. Ask Him to cleanse you and to save you from your sin and you will be saved. Did you do that, my friend? If so, give thanks and what a great Thanksgiving you are about to have!!

God Bless You,
Bro. Bob

PEACE BE WITH YOU (A CONTINUING STORY)

Well church another holiday season is upon us, isn’t it?   In contemplating and meditation regarding this week’s message, I believe the Lord brought to mind a  message I presented to you a couple of years ago.  The title of that message was “Peace be with you.”  Something we all need during the holidays, don’t we?  Welcome everyone to your 24/7, week long, online church service.   Everyone is welcome in this place.

This week’s message will be based on the message I mentioned above.  I know you will be blessed by the anointed preaching of the Word of God.  What was true two years ago is still true today.  So let’s get started.  Thanksgiving should be a daily occurrence.  Let me say this to you –  I am very thankful to God for allowing me to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ to you.  I am also thankful for your faithful attendance.  Your comments and emails are an inspiration to me.

This is not  a one way ministry, my friends.  The message of Jesus that we offer is not a mandate or a command from a pulpit that feels our viewpoint is the gospel.  But, rather a sharing of the gospel of Jesus Christ, based only on the Word of God (The Bible).  We preach the revealed word of truth given to us by the Holy Spirit and the Bible.  If our preaching is not based on the Bible, it is not truth but opinion.  In other words folks, this is a two way ministry.  We preach words of life to you and we ask you to share your words of life with us.  Let’s discuss God’s Word together.  We would be more than happy to share your testimonies, your thoughts and your love for Jesus  in the salvation he has freely given to you.

We are entering the holiday season and we all know that as much pleasure that we derive from seeing family and friends during this time of year, there is a spirit of stress and anxiety that always tries to invade our thoughts and actions.  Most psychologists will tell you that loneliness, feelings of depression (another evil spirit) and suicides leap upward during the holiday season.  We miss our loved ones and friends who are far away and those who have passed on.   All this designed by Satan to destroy us and to take away the fun and love the holidays should be.

Is there an antidote to these negative and destructive feelings?  I am very happy to say a very emphatic yes.  Let me repeat myself – Yes, Yes, Yes!!  The answer in short form is the joy and peace that Jesus gave you the very day you accepted his free gift of salvation.   Remember that day, my friends?  Remember the peace that came over you?  Remember the joy that flooded your soul?  It is still there waiting for you to once again tap into it.  God loves you, church.   You are his family.  You are his kids.  He wants you to always experience his peace.  Turn to John 14:27.  These are the words of Jesus to you.

“Peace I leave to you, my peace I give unto you:  Not as the world giveth, give I unto you.   Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”

Jesus gave these words at the last Passover feast before his death.  Words spoken to the followers of that day and to the present and future.  Peace be with you, my friends.  God’s peace.  The only  true peace men will ever know.  Be encouraged during this holiday season, my believing brothers and sisters.  God is with you because of your belief in his son and what he did on the cross and his resurrection from the dead.  When I think of you, my online church family, I see you as God sees you -  blessed and righteous with peace and joy in your soul.   I know God sees when we fall.  After all, with all that holiness we are still human.  But I also see the hand of our Father reaching out and lifting us up and setting us back on the right track.   Wouldn’t we do just that for our kids?  How much more would our heavenly Father do for us?   Rejoice in your salvation, my friends.  Be thankful to God for who he is and what he is doing in your lives.  Please turn with me to Philippians 4:4-7.

“Rejoice in the Lord always:   And again I say rejoice.   Let your moderation be known to all men the Lord is at hand.  Be careful for nothing; but in everything in prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your request be known unto God.    And the peace of God which passeth all understanding shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”

What a great encouragement the above scriptures are.  God is saying in these verses that he is with you always.  He is at hand, my friends.  During the holiday season and each day of your life , give thanks and don’t worry about anything.  The peace of God, which passes all understanding will keep you strong, loving and steadfast in him.  This Thanksgiving season let’s exercise our God given right to thank God for all he has done for us.  I think of a song that says “Thank you Jesus for saving me and keeping me from what I might have been”  We have victory over the spirits mentioned earlier in this message.  The peace and joy that God gives us will always trump the devices of Satan and his demonic influences.  Remember, we have the fruit of the Spirit abiding in us.  Oops, I know sometimes we forget the basic things we were taught, but let us remind ourselves of these truths again.   What is the fruit of the Spirit that we are to display and share with the world?  Turn to Galatians 5:22-23:

“But the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, long suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance:  Against such there is no law.”

That is what this ministry prays for you.   The ability to display the fruit of the spirit that you possess no matter what circumstances or conditions you find yourself in.  There is nothing that can prevent you from displaying these attributes.   They are you!!  Just be who you are in Christ.  Don’t get beat down by what the world system says about you or even what some misguided churches and preachers say.   My friends, you are under grace, not the law.  Be yourself during this holiday season.   Be the believers you are.   Show the love of Christ.   Show the same mercy to others that God freely gives to you.

My friends, be what God has made you to be.  A blessing and a light to all, both saved or unsaved.  You are going to do just fine during this holiday season.  You will have peace and joy in your heart and soul.  Your heavenly Father will see to it.  As we begin this season of sharing, our prayer for you is the same prayer Paul had for believers at Ephesus.  Turn to Ephesians 1:16-23:

“(we) Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers;  that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of Glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him:  The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of His calling, and what the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power.   Which he wrought in Christ when He raised Him from the dead, and set Him at His own right hand in the heavenly places.  Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come:  And hath put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be the head over all things to the church (us)  which is his body, The fullness of Him that filleth all in all.”

 We pray that prayer for you, we know our Father answers our prayers .   Stay strong and in Him.   You truly are a blessed people, church.   We give thanks to God for putting you in our lives and we say, in Jesus name, during this holiday season peace be with you.

God Bless You,
Bro. Bob

MILK AND MEAT = FOOD FOR EVERYONE

You know church, I believe God is moving us to another level.  The intensity of the messages God has given us to share with you over the past two weeks is almost overwhelming to me.  God in his love for you is pouring out of his Word and Spirit,  words of life to you and for me.  I sense we are moving from the milk of the Word that causes us to grow.  We are now moving to the meat of the Word which will cause us to be strong and victorious in him, Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.  Welcome everyone to your 24/7, week long, online church service.  Let us say clearly, everyone is welcome in this place. 

To those of you new to the faith, the milk of the Word is still good for you.  But, to those of you who are now strong in Christ by the renewing of your mind, God is ready to feed you the prime spiritual meat of the Word that will strengthen you for service in God’s kingdom.  As you all know by now this ministry always backs up what we say by giving you evidence based on the Bible, which is the Word of God, don’t we?  Please turn with me to I Peter 2:1-2 and let’s read it together.

“Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings, As new born babies, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby.”

Do you get that, my friends?  What God’s Word is talking about is repentance and a sincere desire to serve and love him.  Setting aside all these things (talking about sin) and receiving Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior.  He tells all of you who are learning God’s way that he will be gentle with you.  The Holy Spirit will guide you as you read the Bible.  As you receive the milk of the Word you will begin to grow stronger, and stronger spiritually.

The important thing is this – when you are ready the Holy Spirit will guide you in the Bible to the spiritual meat of the Word.  This Word will prepare you to face and overcome every obstacle of life and help you to be the witness for God that he desires you to be.  Yes, my friends, there is quite a journey ahead just for you.  Hebrews 5:14 explains further what we are talking about here.  I want you to listen and meditate upon this.

“But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil."

Let’s talk about this a little bit.  When the Bible says those who are of a full age, it is not talking about being a senior citizen.  It is in fact, talking about those who are solid in the faith and mature in the Lord.  This only comes by the renewing of your mind according to the Word of God.  A person who is ready for spiritual meat is someone who is walking after the Spirit and not, let me repeat this – NOT after the flesh.

If your faith is truly in Jesus and what he did on that cross for you and not on the things of this earth, you are ready for the spiritual meat that God is prepared to provide for you.  When this online church first started over two years ago, we began by preaching the milk of the Word to you.  But as time has gone on, we have provided more and more spiritual food, layer by layer.  Milk to meat to help you grow strong in the Lord.   We promise to always provide milk for the babes in Christ and meat for the strong and mature ones because of their faith in Jesus Christ.  In other words, this online church is here by the grace of God to minister to everyone.  That is the reason we always say that everyone is welcome in this place.

Many of you who have been with us for a while have been growing strong in the Lord.  God sees you have been renewing your mind by reading or listening to the anointed messages we give, but mostly because you are reading and meditating on God’s Word.  I believe that is the reason God is giving this ministry the awesome responsibility of feeding you spiritual meat at this time.  Renewing of the mind is not just some fancy phrase I picked out to impress you.  No, my friends, renewing of the mind is a Bible instruction.  Please turn with me to Romans 12:1-2.  The apostle Paul is talking to us all here, folks – babes and the mature alike.  And this is what it states:

“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.  And be not conformed to this world:  But be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God.”

You see, folks, this is good advice and instruction for everyone.  God is telling us whatever we do for him is just our reasonable service.  The serious point here is by renewing our mind to the Word of God, we will be able to walk in all his ways.  As we first scoot, then crawl, finally stranding straight and walking tall in the Word of God, we will prove to others it can be done.

I just can never forget telling a friend of mine, who did not know God, that I was going to serve Jesus as Lord of my life.  I planned on turning away from the ways of the world and back to God.  This friend said “I am going to watching you, Bob.  If you can make it, maybe I can.”  That, my friends, is why God wants to feed us spiritual meat.  Because he loved the world so much, he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life (John 3:16).  What an important meal we will be partaking of.  Don’t forget to say a blessing over the meal.

God Bless You,
Bro. Bob