Author: Bill

From Bill : Gut check.  Remember salvation is by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone & heavenly rewards are merit based.  Note this scripture:  Matt 7:21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, & cast out demons in your name, & do many mighty works in your name?’ 23 & then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’”  How can we be absolutely sure we know the Lord? —How can we be sure our works will not burn up at the Judgement Seat of Christ leaving us with salvation but little reward?  1.We must believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.  2.We should see some progress in our lives over time & Have a desire to be like Him. BUT HERE is the acid test. 3. Do you love God & love each other. This is “the will of God” mentioned above.  Ask God to increase your capacity to love.  Just like faith – it is at once a gift & a decision. Though it may sound confusing it seems to be the eternal currency.  Love is the most important thing. Jesus said we MUST love God & our neighbor.  It’s a command. You Shall love… . Ask for love. Pray for love.  What is love? Love is service. Love is compassion. Love is intimacy with God. Love is crying out inside for the poor, the sick, the hurting.  It is seeing Jesus in everyone.  He doesn’t really care if you heal the sick, feed the hungry or cast out demons if you have not love.  He cares that you love Him & serve others from love.  Love God as daddy & your neighbor as yourself. If you have love you will have it all. Love Mel

rom Bill —Part of a David Jeremiah message. Are you discouraged? After the Jews went to captivity in Babylon for 70 years as a result of sin, it was time to return home. Ezra the priest would restore the Law of God. Zerubabel would rebuild the house of God. & Nehemiah had the task of supervising the rebuilding of the wall to protect the city.  It was hard & the people became discouraged. —Neh 4:10 Then Judah said, “The strength of the laborers is failing, & there is so much rubbish that we are not able to build the wall.” They saw no rapid result & they became Frustrated. & the enemy was trying to kill them such that they labored with swords strapped to their sides.  Fear plagued them. 4:11. & our adversaries said, “They will neither know nor see anything, till we come into their midst & kill them & cause the work to cease.” —How should we respond to discouragement? Cry out to God. Always Looking up. —Phil 4 says: Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer & supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 & the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts & minds through Christ Jesus.—  & Just keep going. Persist. Don’t stop doing what will get you through. Focus on the big picture & try to see God’s Perspective. God is moving & we win in the end. Gods purposes are being accomplished. Claim His promises. —2 Thess 3:11 says But as for you, brethren, do not grow weary in doing good. Elsewhere it says in due time you will reap if you do not quit.  —Finally find someone you can encourage. & surround yourself with those that have your back! Sow the seed of encouragement & It will come back to you. Life can be hard. But God is good & we are His. Keep pushing thru the hard times, staying focused on God, & you will get to the mountain top! Love Mel

Deut 6:5 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart & with all your soul & with all your might. Col 3:14 Above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. 1John 4:8 Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. —When we seek the passion of God, we will find that things not good for us will in fact begin to just fall away! —1Chron 16:11 Seek the Lord & His strength; seek His presence continually. Prov 3:6 In all your ways acknowledge Him, & He will make straight your paths. Phil 2:12-13 Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in My presence but much more in My absence, work out your own salvation with fear & trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will & to work for His good pleasure. 1John 3:2 Beloved, we are God’s children now, & what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when He appears we shall be like Him, because we shall see Him as He is. — It is all in the seeking & the being! That is being more like Him! Love Mel

John 3:2 This man came to Jesus by night & said to Him, “Rabbi, we know that You have come from God as a teacher; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him. Matt 12:38 Then some of the scribes & Pharisees said to Him, “Teacher, we want to see a sign from You”. Mark 13:4 Tell us, when will these things be, & what will be the sign when all these things are about to be accomplished. Matt 24:3 As He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be, & what will be the sign of your coming & of the close of the age”.  Judges 6:17 He said to him, “If now I have found favor in your eyes, then show me a sign that it is you who speak with me. —SIGNs —John 20:29 Jesus told him, ‘Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen & yet have believed. — We are the blessed ones! The ones who just believe! For we believe even if there are no signs! Just Believe & Be Blessed! Now that’s a sign! Love Mel

From Bill—Today’s message is simply scripture for you to meditate on. This message is central to a successful faith journey. Read this passage several times today & consider what it means carefully. From ROMANS 4 (NKJV) ”What then shall we say that Abraham our father has found according to the flesh? 2 For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. 3 For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, & it was accounted to him for righteousness.” 4 Now to him who works, the wages are not counted as grace but as debt. David celebrates the same truth.5 But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness, 6 just as David also describes the blessedness of the man to whom God imputes righteousness apart from works: 7 “Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, & whose sins are covered; 8 blessed is the man to whom the Lord shall not impute sin.”— Believe God and it is counted as righteousness apart from law keeping. The Holy Spirit is the inside evidence of our righteousness which comes for all only by faith in the finished work of Christ. Our faith in Christ justifies us before a perfect and Holy God! We are forgiven & blessed. Praise God! Believe!! Love Mel