Psalm 100

Psalm 100
 1.  Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all ye lands.
 2.  Serve the Lord with gladness: come before his presence with singing.
 3.  Know ye that the Lord he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.
 4.  Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.
 5.  For the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.

THANKFUL FOR SALVATION

"That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life; (For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;) That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ. And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full. This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us."

1 John 1

Undeniably the biggest blessing God's given to all of us is salvation. In this thanksgiving season I know at the top of my list of things I am thankful for is my salvation. In the fall of 1984 God sent his sweet Holy Spirit down to beckon my soul to the Cross and accept His son’s free and perfect gift of redemption . On that day I did not know what all that meant , but the more I read and grow in the Lord the more I understand why  Paul said “I thank my God for his unspeakable gift .”

If you've been in church any length of time, you've heard that salvation is the most important life decision you'll ever make. But step back and think about the provision of salvation for a minute.

 God sent His only Son to die for your sins, if that isn’t love. No matter how often you hear the story or think about Christ's death, you cannot get over the fact that were it not for Jesus' sacrifice, your life would be hopeless and aimless. Were it not for salvation, you would be wandering through life without a real purpose.

Aren't you thankful that Jesus willingly suffered the Cross for you? Imagine your life without God. What would you be doing? What would your life's craving be? What would you have to look forward to? God truly provided the greatest blessing of all when He provided salvation through His Son.

Since we realize that salvation is the most important decision someone will ever make, we truly  want our friends, family, neighbors, and coworkers to make that decision as well? While you can't force them into salvation, you can live a godly life, exhibit a Christ-like testimony, and share God's plan of salvation with them.

As John says, "That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ. And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full" (1 John 1:3-4). Share God's salvation with others so they can experience the joys you know through Christ.

Christian, don't allow this week go  quickly  by without stopping to reflect on the basis for your thankfulness-God's free gift of salvation. Without salvation, you have no reason to be thankful. But with salvation, you have forgiveness for the past, guidance for today, and hope for the future. In this we find the true joy to be thankful in all things. I am truly thankful for my Saviour and his gift of salvation

Pastor's Perception: BEHAVIOR AND BELIEF

Pastor's Perception: BEHAVIOR AND BELIEF: "Acts 2:32 This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses. On three or more occasion of sharing the Gospel the person has respo..."

BEHAVIOR AND BELIEF

Acts 2:32 This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses.

On three or more occasion of sharing the Gospel the person has responded with the question “Do all Christians believe that?”  (Jesus is the only way to Heaven) How do you know if you really believe something is true? Is it because you say you believe it? Or is it because you are gripped with its reality to the point that it changes your behavior?

The Gospel  is so incredible , that to the lost world if Jesus truly died for our sins was buried  then resurrected and we are looking for his soon return our action , attitude and agendas should  reflect that . –Do all Christians believe that??

Is Hell real? Do I act as if I know people there today and the people I meet could be there tomorrow? Many time we are hindered by fear of individuals who oppose  the straight forward approach , but why let those who are not doing it at all tell us how to evangelize  souls ?

Jesus is our example. He was at it daily, at every encounter and at every season. Why? because he knew Hell was real and time was limited. His last command was Acts 1:8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

Thos three dear people did not trust Christ as their Saviour as far as I know , but I’ve thought of there  question a thousand times since: “Do you really believe that?” With nearly seven billion people in the world—over half of whom have never once heard the Gospel—I’m not sure we are in a good position to answer there question.

If beliefs determine behavior, how would our behavior change if we really did believe that everyone who trusts Christ will spend eternity in Heaven and everyone who doesn’t will spend eternity in Hell? What would we do differently if we were gripped with the reality of eternal souls and Christ’s offer of salvation?  

Matt 28: 17 And when they saw him, they worshipped him: but some doubted.

 18.  And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.

 19.  Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:

 20.  Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.