Morning Light: Steve Green

Steve Brown sung this years ago in my youthful years in the ministry! Indeed Jesus is the the Bright and Morning Start that lights our lives! Indeed God has been our dwelling place these years! His faithfulness is new every morning!

Here is the link to the Morning light Album

Still true! You and I need to listen close, listen deep way beyond the silence!
May your will be done Jesus on earth as it is in heaven!

The Word Builds The Church

Isaiah 55:10-11

“For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven,

And do not return there,

But water the earth,

And make it bring forth and bud,

That it may give seed to the sower

And bread to the eater,

So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth;

It shall not return to Me void,

But it shall accomplish what I please,

And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.

I wish to quote Mark Dever and Paul Alexander in their small book The Deliberate Church when they say the following,

"The Word builds the Church. Our power is not in having small groups, or meeting the felt needs of our target audience, or using the right evangelism program, or having funny skits, or providing plenteous parking, or targeting our ministries to postmoderns. Our power is in our unique message—the Gospel (Greek, euangelion)—not in our innovations. As such, our primary method must be to clearly communicate that message as widely as possible. Biblically, that means that we must faithfully preach it (Greek, euangelizø), fearlessly calling for repentance and belief as the only saving responses." 

Mark 1:14-15 

Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.”

Eternity, Where Will You Be After Death?

We must all reckon at some point about our Eternity in the afterlife. 

I believe that the souls of those who die in Christ, “go immediately into the presence of God when we die” (Graham, 2006).  2 Corinthians 5:8 “We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord (NKJV)”.

 

Sproul (2009) referring to the Apostle Paul puts it like this, “to live in this world is good; the greatest thing that can ever happen is to be participating in the final resurrection. But the intermediate state is even better” Philippians 1:21-24 “For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain. But if I live on in the flesh, this will mean fruit from my labor; yet what I shall choose I cannot tell. For I am hard-pressed between the two, having a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better. Nevertheless, to remain in the flesh is more needful for you.”

There is an indication of immediacy of situations.  To absent from the body is to be present with the LORD! A departure from this life, is to be with Christ! It is a far better situation indeed, Paul is saying!  

Graham (2006) further says that although the Bible doesn’t answer all our questions about life after death, it clearly tells us that we can look forward to heaven’s joys when we die, if we know Christ.  This means that you and I have a hope – a hope of being with Christ in heaven someday.  Jesus tells us not to be troubled because He went to prepare for us a place.  John 14:2,3 “I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also” (NKJV)

The most important truth I can tell you about heaven, however, is that we will be with God, and nothing evil or harmful will ever touch us again. In heaven, God “will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away” (Revelation 21:4). Why would anyone not want to go there?

Sproul (2009) says that Apostle Paul’s judgment that the passing beyond the veil of death to that intermediate state is far better than this one gives us a clue, along with a host of other passages. 

All this is possible because Jesus Christ took upon Himself the death and judgment we deserve when He died on the cross for us. (Graham, 1996). So through Christ’s resurrection, God showed victory over our condemnation in a place of torment called Hell.  Jesus overcame death when He resurrected from the dead! A sure sight that we shall also live with Him in heaven someday!

The lyrics in that great hymn of our faith says,

Only Trust Him, Only Trust Him
He will save you now!

Save you from what? 

The Bible also says, “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23).
The danger lurking is death - for all who do not receive the gift of God through Jesus Christ.  God's gift is eternal life, available when we put our faith in Jesus Christ, God's Son!

The last stanza says

Yes, Jesus is the truth, the way
That leads you into rest
Believe in Him without delay

Yes! The solution for your Eternity is in faith in Jesus Christ!

John 14:6

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.

References

Sproul, R. C. (2009, July 14). Ligonier Ministries. Retrieved June 29, 2018, from https://www.ligonier.org/learn/qas/when-person-dies-where-does-his-or-her-spirit-and/
Graham, B. (2006, June 19). Where does our soul go when we die if we are believers? [text/html]. Retrieved June 29, 2018, from https://billygraham.org/answer/where-does-our-soul-go-when-we-die-if-we-are-believers/

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GYC 2015 - My House Is Full (Marleta and Charissa Fong)

Gathering a Brood Not Hatched

Jeremiah 17:1
“As a partridge that broods but does not hatch, 
So is he who gets riches, but not by right;
It will leave him in the midst of his days, 
And at his end he will be a fool”(NKJV).

As Millicent and I read through this verse recently, it didn't seem to form a literal sense in our minds at first.

Today we have individuals who strike silver and gold that seem to have no history with it! Those who strive to work hard, smart or however we would wish to call it - especially the believers get into a time of fretting because of him who "seems" to prosper in the way BEFORE they do.

An encouragement to you.
Psalms 37:7 Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way, over the man who carries out evil devices!

By fretting it will only cause you harm.  The following verse in Psalms 37:8 says that, "Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath! Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil."

The ESV puts this verse this way,
Jeremiah 17:11
Like the partridge that gathers a brood that she did not hatch,
so is he who gets riches but not by justice;
in the midst of his days they will leave him,
and at his end he will be a fool.

In Christ Alone A cappella

Maneno - Rebekah Dawn (OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO)