My Time With Jesus Tuesday

Parables

Matthew 20:1-16, Tells the story of a Vineyard owner who hired people at various times during the day. At the end of the day, everyone got paid the same.  Be sure to read these verses to get the whole story of what I’m talking about. 

The Lord Jesus Christ taught using parables. For those not familiar with that word, a parable is a simple story that conveys a greater truth. Years ago, when I first heard this parable, I thought it wasn’t fair to these workers. Everyone I talked to about it pretty much felt the same way.

This was a dilemma. Jesus taught this Parable for a reason. Since the Lord Jesus Christ cannot and will not lie, there must be something I wasn’t seeing.

Every so often I would think of this Parable, and I thought to myself that someday, when I saw the Lord Jesus, I would ask Him what it meant.

The other day, when I wasn’t even reading the Bible, a thought came to me about this parable. It seemed simple and answered my question. I don’t claim I read it in the Bible, or that the Lord Jesus Christ explained it this way. Possibly the Holy Spirit inspired it. You decide.

For the sake of helping explain, let us take a person of 10 years old, one 30 years old, and one 60 years old, and one about to take his last breath. Each of them found the Lord Jesus as their savior on those birthdays.

In the vineyard we had a landowner, and in life we have the Lord Jesus Christ. In this life all of them go to Heaven, just like all the workers in the vineyard got paid all the same, the ages didn’t matter in Salvation.

The explanation that came to me may or may not be true. Let us say that each of them lives to be 80 years old.

The 10-year-old would have 70 years of guidance, blessings, and a life of helping others to find Jesus.  So, each person had the difference between their birthday and their 80 birthdays to do what the 10-year-old did. In other words, each of them enjoyed the blessings for a different amount of time, but they were all saved.

I don’t know if there are different degrees of Heaven based on your life or not. It really doesn’t matter though. Experiencing the joy of helping in even a tiny way, someone being saved, is a reward in itself. Don’t forget, if you save one, and they do the same, it will end up being a lot of others.

Reading the Bible regularly and meditating on what you read, will put you in touch with our Father God. Before you read, ask the Holy Spirit to help you understand what you read. 10 minutes, or 10 hours, doesn’t really matter, but what does matter is consistency. God bless you and your family. Praise The Lord!

Remember Jesus loves you.

Prayer of Salvation.

My Lord Jesus Christ, I believe you died on the cross and rose again to save me and to forgive all my sins. I ask you to come into my heart as my personal savior. I Repent of my sins, and I thank you and Praise you for what you did on the cross to make my salvation possible. Amen. 

Praise The Lord!

God's Promises Sunday

The Holy Spirit And You

Matthew 3:11, I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.

Many people are confused about the Holy Spirit. The Bible tells us that when we are saved, we received the Holy Spirit. Many people are baptized into salvation through a water baptism and think that is as far as it goes.

Galatians 5: 22-23, but the fruit of the spirit is love, Joy, peace, long suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.

These are the fruits of the Holy Spirit. The fruits are actions the Holy Spirit uses to show others that we belong to the Lord Jesus Christ. We can work on all or one of these, it is up to us. The Holy Spirit does not force anything on us. We still have free will.

1 Corinthians 12:3-11, Therefore I make known to you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God calls Jesus accursed, and no one can say that Jesus is the Lord except by the Holy Spirit. There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of activities, but it is the same God who works all in all. But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each for the prophet of all: for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gift of healings by the same Spirit, to another working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills.

 The Lord Jesus told the apostles what to do after He went back to Heaven. The apostles could do nothing without the direction of the Holy Spirit and His power. The baptism in the Holy Spirit is a special experience of the presence and power of the Holy Spirit in our lives.

 This relationship with the Holy Spirit is not automatic. You must ask the Lord God Almighty to be baptized in the Holy Spirit and to be filled with the Holy Spirit and His power to serve according to the will and plan of Our Father God.

Romans 8: 26, likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.

Some years ago, I asked a preacher to baptize me in the Holy Spirit. When he did, I felt good but no fireworks as I’d expected. I was a little disappointed, but I started to notice after a while that things that I thought about and acted on were different.

Peace was in my heart, stress was gone, and I got more understanding when I read the Bible. I started praying in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit.

I know in my heart that our Heavenly Father hears and answers prayers. I even see glimpses of the presence of God Almighty in my day. The hard part of realizing what the Holy Spirit can do in your life is waiting for Him to give you Direction and Power to take advantage of one or more gifts that He gives us. It is all worth it, however. I pray you will find what I found. All you must do is ask our Father. God bless you and your family. 

Praise The Lord!

Remember Jesus loves you.

Prayer of Salvation.

My Lord Jesus Christ, I believe you died on the cross and rose again to save me and to forgive my sins. I ask you to come into my heart as my personal savior. I Repent of my sins, and I thank You and Praise You for what You did on the cross to make my salvation possible. Amen. 

Praise The Lord!

Habakkuk 3:17-18, Though the fig tree may not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines; though the labor of the olive may fail, and the fields yield no food, though the flock may be cut off from the fold, and there be no herd in the stalls-yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will rejoice in the God of my salvation.

When we think about this verse, most of us look at the faith involved, and either don’t believe it is possible, or we are completely amazed by it. You would have to wonder if you could do it. I know I do.

When you look at life in general, and these times in particular, there are many things that require many levels of Faith. Our experiences can have as serious an impact on us as the ones had by Habakkuk.

Whether then or now it all boils down to how close we are to Almighty God. The closer we are to Him, the stronger our faith.

Hebrews 13: 5, Let your conduct be without covetousness; Be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you”.

1 Peter 5:6-9, Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your cares upon Him, for He cares for you. Be sober, be vigilant, because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world.

We have the promises of Almighty God, and He cannot, and will not lie. We also have the Bible, which lays out what Almighty God expects of us. It also gives us the way to happiness, peace, prosperity, and eternal life. Remember, prayer is speaking directly to God, so pour out your heart to Him. God bless you and your family. Praise The Lord!

Remember Jesus loves you.

Prayer of Salvation.

My Lord Jesus Christ, I believe you died on the cross and rose again to save me and to forgive all my sins. I ask you to come into my heart as my personal Savior. I Repent of my sins, and I thank You and praise You for what You did on the cross to make my salvation possible. Amen. 

Praise The Lord!

My Time With Jesus Tuesday

Coffee With Jesus Beginnings

Proverbs 3:5-6, Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.

If you are a reader of these messages, you have undoubtedly heard about coffee with Jesus. This series of messages covers discussions we have when we relax with our morning coffee.

Since we dedicate each day to almighty God, it really wasn’t a surprise to us that the conversations seemed to flow. We felt the presence of the Holy Spirit in our hearts, and believed He was guiding us.

At first it was little things that we noticed. An idea here, understanding there, and the sense that each day was bringing us closer to our Lord Jesus Christ. To say it was exciting is an understatement.

On one occasion, we discussed turning the day over to the Lord. We did it by faith and noticed new things seemed to be blessed when we let go.

As time went on, our faith grew to the point where we asked our Father, Almighty God, to take total control of everything in our lives. We asked this in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

This may seem like a huge decision, but it makes sense. Every believer should realize that the Lord God Almighty hears and answers the prayers of a sincere heart. We have found through experience that prayer is always answered in some way. After all the Bible tells us whatever we ask in Jesus’s name and believe we shall receive.

John 14: 13-14, And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything in My name, I will do it.

Mark 11: 24, therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.

Matthew 21: 22, and whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.

Another important bit of knowledge. Faith and trust are another great way to praise the Lord.

Hebrews 11: 6, but without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

One more thing I must point out at this time. Everything I have spoken of in this message grows with your knowledge, faith, and trust in almighty God. God bless you and your family. Praise The Lord!

Remember Jesus loves you.

Prayer of Salvation.

My Lord Jesus Christ, I believe you died on the cross and rose again to save me and to forgive my sins. I ask you to come into my heart as my personal savior. I Repent of my sins, and I thank you and praise you for what you did on the cross to make my salvation possible. Amen. 

Praise The Lord!

God's Promises Sunday

Like Sheep

Psalm 23:1-6, The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His namesake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.

The Lord Jesus Christ constantly refers to His people as sheep. The reason for using sheep as an example, can be easily understood by the following verse.

Psalm 100:3, Know that the Lord, He is God; it is He who made us, and not we ourselves, we are His people and the sheep of His pasture.

Sheep have often been described as docile, afraid of everything, and having the reputation of getting lost. Add to that the fact that they do not have a way of protecting themselves.

Psalm 23 is a story as seen through the eyes of the sheep. Everything in their life depends on a shepherd. People have a lot in common with sheep.

Isaiah 53:6, all we like sheep have gone astray; and we have turned, everyone, to his own way; and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.

Jeremiah 50: 6, My people have been lost sheep. Their shepherds have led them astray; they have turned them away on the mountains. They have gone from Mountain to Hill; they have forgotten their resting place.

In this secular world, everyone is out in a world that is dangerous, and lawless. Hatred and violence with no way to defend yourself as the way sheep without a shepherd would have to live.

We are not sheep in the literal sense, we are like sheep in the spiritual sense. Fortunately, we have a spiritual Shepherd that loves us more than He loves Himself. That spiritual Shepherd is our Lord Jesus Christ.

John 10:15, Jesus speaking.  As the Father knows Me, even so I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the Sheep.

Matthew 9: 36, But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd.

As you read Psalm 23, picture yourself as a sheep. Then compare it to your life. Do you have the great loving Shepherd, the Lord Jesus Christ in your life? A sheep when it dies it is all over. When we die, we have eternal life with, and because of our spiritual Shepherd the Lord Jesus Christ. God bless you and your family. Praise The Lord!

Remember Jesus loves you.

Prayer of Salvation.

My Lord Jesus Christ, I believe you died on the cross and rose again to save me and to forgive all my sins. I ask you to come into my heart as my personal savior. I Repent of my sins, and I thank You and Praise You for what You did on the cross to make my salvation possible. Amen. 

Praise The Lord!

Escape Society's Trap

2 Peter 3:9, the Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some count slackness, but is long suffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.

Most people on this Earth are not saved. Many do not know that they have a choice, while many others do not want to hear about salvation. One of the biggest reasons they don’t want to hear about salvation is they don’t believe or care about the afterlife.

John 3:16-17, for God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. 

There are two lies that account for many people being lost spiritually. These lies will send countless people to Hell, while they are thinking that they are saved. The first lie is that most people believe that everyone will go to Heaven regardless of how they lived or believed.

 The second lie is, there is no hell. These two lies have become unbelievably popular because each person has his own version of Truth. People do not believe they are sinners because their version of Truth says, if it feels good, it is good. There is no reason to be concerned about anything.

Titus 1:16, they profess to know God, but in Works they deny Him, being abominable, disobedient, and disqualified for every good work.

Revelation 20:15 anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the Lake of Fire.

2 Peter 2:4, For if God did not spare the Angels who sinned but cast them down to Hell and delivered them into chains of Darkness, to be reserved for judgment.

If you pull all of this together, you might think it is impossible to change this kind of thinking, especially if you know someone that fits the picture.

Mark 9: 23, Jesus said to him, if you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.

Matthew 19:26, but Jesus looked at them and said to them, with men this is impossible but With God all things are possible.

Mark 10: 27, but Jesus looked at them and said, with men it is impossible, but not with God; for with God all things are possible.

When the Lord Jesus Christ was going back to Heaven after His Resurrection, He told the apostles He would send the Holy Spirit to help them.

Romans 8:26, likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we are, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.

In case you didn’t know it, the Holy Spirit was the power behind the Lord Jesus Christ Miracles. Now He is with us and in us to help us in every way, especially helping us to pray. The power of God is unlimited, the only limit to His power is the limit we put on Him by whether we believe or not. God bless you and your family.  Praise The Lord!

Remember Jesus loves you.

Prayer of Salvation.

My Lord Jesus Christ, I believe you died on the cross and rose again to save me and to forgive all my sins. I ask you to come into my heart as my personal savior. I Repent of my sins, and I thank You and praise You for what You did on the cross to make my salvation possible. Amen. 

Praise The Lord!

My Time With Jesus Tuesday

Fear And Lies

Revelation 21:8, But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone which is the second death.

The Lord God Almighty hates lies. He hates lies so much the Bible says that liars will be condemned. In the eyes of God, what we call a minor sin or lie, is just as bad as any other sin or lie in the eyes of God.

Proverbs 19: 9, a false witness will not go unpunished, and he who speaks lies shall perish.

Lies can destroy people, even countries. One of the biggest problems is the fear that they create in people. Countries are ruled by lies that create enough fear in some people that they are paralyzed, unable to function in life.

Fear can cause all sorts of problems. Fear keeps people from doing the right thing, because everyone acts like everyone else, even if it costs their immortal Soul.

Lies cause people to reject God, especially the Lord Jesus Christ. False teaching, even from so-called religious people, trying to update God’s word to the times we live in.

It is a fact that lies create fear, and fear creates chaos, violence and evil. In the end times brother will be against brother and so on. One of the frailties of humans is that most people are easily LED. Manipulating behavior is easy if you use words that will move them in a way that makes them feel better.

People in fear are desperate for a leader. The leader lies to accomplish his goals and keeps repeating lies until it becomes truth in most people’s minds. In the times we live in, each person has his own version of truth, and that can destroy your soul. Truth is what the Bible says it is.

What next? The Lord Jesus Christ, spoke about conquering fear, seeking the truth, and giving His life to save us, to pay for our sins, and showing love.

Be brave enough to read, meditate, and believe the word of God. It is a fact that the Lord God Almighty talks to us through His word, the Bible. The Bible is as a matter of fact the only source of Truth on this Earth and in this life. God bless you and your family. Praise The Lord!

Remember Jesus loves you.

Prayer of Salvation.

My Lord Jesus Christ, I believe you died on the cross and rose again to save me and to forgive all my sins. I ask you to come into my heart as my personal savior. I Repent of all my sins, and I thank You and praise you for what You did on the cross to make my salvation possible. Amen. 

Praise The Lord!