Preaching with a purpose

Before ever we were made, God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit planned our salvation. This was going to be the most difficult thing that God would do, bringing us back from a state of sin to be right with him again. Many people don't believe God created everything. They can't conceive of a being so wonderful that he can make our earth and us in 6 days. However creation was easy for God, but bringing us back from sin is difficult. He had to give his beloved son as a redeeming sacrifice for us. This was not easy. Jesus was always in perfect love and harmony with his father. To be separated from him in any way must have been oh so terrible and yet he did it for his children. Are you one of God's children?

Today at church we looked at how Paul made plans. We read a part of 1Corinthians 16. It was obvious from that that Paul kept his plans flexible. This was because he was open to guidance from the Holy Spirit. Although we have day to day duties which we need to do, we should be ready for the Lord to call us into something we had not expected. Being available to God is a wonderful privilege. Sometimes we fight against God and try to go our own way. How very foolish of us. God's plan for your life is the very best thing for you. Don't fight him.

I've just turned off the opening ceremony of the Olympic games. I couldn't stand to watch any more of man glorying in man. We were not made to pat each other on the back and say how wonderful we are; we were created to praise God, who alone is worthy of praise. Don't be taken in by magnificent spectacles such as this, they are a poor sham. Unless we repent and turn back to God and worship only him in spirit and in truth we have a bleak future. There is salvation in Jesus for all who will trust in him alone. We should not try to keep one foot in the camp which is the world's. We should be wholeheartedly following Jesus.

We are saved by grace through faith and that is not of ourselves but a gift from God. To read more about justification through faith read my Squidoo page. There is a link below in blue, just click on it. You can also find out about Rahab and how grace was at work in her life, that's the second link. I feel my readers here would so benefit from reading my longer pages on Squidoo. Be adventurous, take a look. Justification By Faith Rahab

If times are hard and no one seems to be listening to the gospel, just keep right on sowing the seed for (Gal 6:9)"in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart." It is the Lord's harvest, not ours and the outcome is up to him. We cannot fail, but we do need to be faithful.Be of good cheer the Lord's will is being done.

Squidoo is a wonderful site where anyone can join for free and make pages, called lenses, about any topic they like. Obviously there are certain rules of behaviour to be adhered to. Many people no longer know much of the Bible so I write about Bible people, telling their stories and drawing lessons from them. I would love my blogger readers to become readers of my Squidoo pages also and so from time to time I post a link here. On Squidoo I have more time and space for these stories. I also write poetry. Much of it of a spiritual nature. Below I have put the link to my Squidoo page that contains links to all my other Squidoo pages. My Squidoo Lenses

Do you want to please God? Do you want to be so righteous that he will be pleased with you. Don't struggle doing good and praying and fasting. These things are all very good at the right time, but the only righteousness that pleases God is the righteousness that only Jesus can give us. He has a robe of righteousness and if you ask him he will clothe you in it. Then you will please God and he will accept the good things you do thereafter as gifts of love for the God who has given us a perfect salvation in Jesus alone.

Tomorrow I am taking a service. For the sermon I have decided to work from a sermon by John Wesley, the founder of the Methodist Church. He used the text from Acts chapter26 verses 28 and 29 where King Agrippa says, "Paul almost you persuade me to be a christian." To which Paul replies that he wishes Agrippa was "altogether" like Paul, a christian. This is a chance to really examine ourselves to see if we are in the faith. It is possible to fool everyone including ourselves that we are a christian when really we are not. It is not enough to live a decent life and treat our neighbours well. We have to love God above all else and live our lives in the light of that, accepting Jesus to be the only way to God, the way that God has himself provided.

Please do not assume that I endorse any adverts that you may see on this blog. Not all apparently christian adverts meet with my approval. I would not like to feel that I am leading anyone astray because of them. If you really want to know what I believe click on the link below to Justification by Faith. Justification by Faith

Which is worse? Some of us are openly attacked for our Christian faith whilst others have to face the deadly hand of apathy. In the Western world people are so busy making money and enjoying a luxurious life. They are content and do not want to think of what God requires of them. They are totally apathetic to the message of Jesus coming to save us from our sin. They don't want to be saved from their sin, they are enjoying it too much. Just as those in the persecuted countries need our prayers so we in the west need the prayers of our brothers so that we are not engulfed by the apathy and swallowed up by our own desire to have more and more gadgets.Indeed those of you being openly persecuted are far nearer to God and know him better. Knowing God is the most wonderful thing of all.

I find the more I speak of Jesus, the more of you visit my blog. It's great to know you are out there and wanting to hear more of Jesus. He is the lover of our souls, if we have put our trust in him. He died for us to bring us back to the Father. There is nothing we could do to help ourselves, instead we must put our trust in him alone. If we try to make ourselves good enough we will only fail, but if we trust in Jesus he clothes us with his robe of righteousness. Our righteousnesses are like filthy rags, his is perfect and sufficient for all who will believe. Rejoice this day because of Jesus.

It seems to me you love to hear me talk of Jesus. Indeed he is the altogether lovely one that the Bible tells us of. He must be at the centre of our lives at all times. If he is we will be content even when days are difficult Most of my readers come from the United States and from Russia, with a sprinkling from people all over the world. What a privilege it is for me to be encouraging you to put Jesus first in your lives. I, also will try to do the same.

I have deserted you for a while. That is something Jesus will never do once you have put your trust in him. He is always faithful even when we stray from him."He abideth faithful." If you are in difficult circumstances just remember that he will not fail you. Even our fellow believers will sometimes fail us, but Jesus never. Keep close to him. Our friends and family may desert us, but Jesus never, til he brings us to heaven to be in his presence forever.Keep the faith, preach in season and out. Do all to win others to him. Be encouraged.