Making an Impact....

I found this short story on an old church bulletin and I'd like to share it with you.
The author is not known.

Struggling with Worldliness while making an Impact

John the Baptist would never get hired today.
No church would touch him.
He was a public relations disaster.
He "wore clothes made from camel's hair, has a leather belt around his waist, annd ate locusts and wild honey" ( Mark 1:6 )
Who would want to look at a guy like that every Sunday??

His message was as rough as his dress:
a no-nonsense, bare fisted challenge to repent because God was on his way!
John the Baptist set himself apart for one task - to be a voice for Christ.
Everything about John centered on his purpose. His dress. His diet. His actions. His demands.

You don't have to be like the world to have an impact on the world.
You don't have to be like the crowd to change the crowd.
You don't have to lower your standards down to their level to lift them up to your God.
Holiness doesn't seek to be odd.
Holiness seeks to be like God.

Prayer - Heavenly Father, remind us that worship is not only what we do on Sunday mornings in coats and ties, but how we live for You seven days a week. Amen

Walking the Path of life...

Isaiah 30:21 And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left.

 Life is like walking down a path.....how far down the path am I, how far are you??  Life is also similar to running a race. Are you in the first lap of the race or are you in the second lap - perhaps nearing the end, running ahead with strength as you are about to cross the finish line! We do want to finish strong!

Whether we are in the first or second lap of our race here on earth, we must stay focused on the goal - living a life that pleases the Lord Jesus and to be welcomed into heaven when our life here is done.  It is important that we continually choose to stay on the path where we pursue righteousness not turning to the right or to the left  but constantly listening for the voice of the Lord Jesus saying - This is the way - walk in it!

It is a life of living intentionally!

Deuteronomy 5:32

Ye shall observe to do therefore as the Lord your God hath commanded you: ye shall not turn aside to the right hand or to the left

Bucket List...

Only one life, twill soon be past; Only what's done for Christ will last. C.T.Studd
1 Timothy 6:7-9  For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and raiment let us be therewith content. But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition.

Have you ever made up a bucket list? First let me explain what I mean by the term bucket list - it is a list of things that you would like to do or things you would like to accomplish before your life is done. It can be a written list or just a mental list - just some things in your mind that you know you would like to do. Personally I have never written up a bucket list. I have thought of few things that would be nice to do - that being taking a road trip to Prince Edward Island. The other idea is to visit the land of Israel and walk where Jesus walked and experience the locations at which many of Jesus's miracles etc took place. It is unlikely that I will do either of these in my lifetime though due to family and health circumstances.
But thinking about the concept of a bucket list brings me to ask the question - What really does hold value in your life? or the question could be worded in a different way - If you were told you have only 30 days to live, what would you do? How would you spend your time? Would you go on a trip or have one last drunken party? Buy a new car or go sky diving? Would you care to earn more money or win the lottery yet? OR - Would you spend that time deepening your relationship with the Lord and spending it with your family? Personally I think most of us would want to spend quality time with our family and good friends, and walk closer with the Lord than ever before. We would want to be 100% sure that we have been washed in the blood of the Lamb - the Lord Jesus and we are ready to meet the Lord.
A few years ago a friend of ours was diagnosed with cancer and was told he had only 3 months to live. He spent those last three months wisely preparing to leave this earth. He realized that in the end all that matters is your relationship with the Lord - are you saved? and ready to meet the Lord. And the second thing that has any real worth is your family and relationships with friends and coworkers etc. These things became clear to him as he would meditate on his early morning walks when sleep just was not possible. As his health deteriorated he prepared for his auction sale, met with the lawyer, and catching up one last time with many old friends. What would you or I do??
There is a sense of urgency here! If we are honest enough to admit that we would live differently if we knew our time was short here on earth, then it only makes sense that we make those changes today - even though we don't know how long we have here or when our days will end. Anyone of us could go to bed tonight and wake up on the "other side". We have no guarantee that we will be here tomorrow, next week or next year. Prepare today to meet the Lord. Money cannot save - only Jesus can save!  Come to Jesus Christ for salvation today!  Acts 4:12  Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.
The Bible says in Hebrews 3: 12-15
¹² Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God.
¹³ But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.
¹⁴ For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end;
¹⁵ While it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation.

The Message of Salvation..

Revelation 1:5  And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,

The most important decision we will ever make is that of salvation. It is the decision that will determine our eternal destiny. The choice to accept God's offer of forgiveness and salvation through Jesus Christ will lead to life everlasting in Heaven. The choice to never accept this offer to salvation will lead to the place called hell. The choice is up to each of us as individuals. We have to make the choice here in this life. When death has come, we no longer have the opportunity to choose. Since each of us has no idea when our life here will be over ( many die suddenly through accidents or illnesses), it is not wise to leave this decision undone for another day. So I urge everyone reading this to choose Jesus and be saved today!

The Way of Salvation
1) All have sinned and are in need of the Savior Jesus Christ. There is no person who is good enough to go to Heaven without having come to faith in Jesus Christ.
Romans 3:23  For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
Romans 3: 9 - 10  What then? are we better than they? No, in no wise: for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin;  As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one

2) God loves each of us and does not want anyone of us to be lost to hell.
2 Thessalonians 2: 16  Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God, even our Father, which hath loved us, and hath given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace,
1 John 4:9  In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.

3) God requires the blood sacrifice of His own Son Jesus as payment for our sin. Nothing else will do.
Hebrews 9: 22  And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission.
Hebrews 9:12  Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.
1 John 4:10  Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

4) In order to be saved we must put our faith completely in Jesus alone and believe that He is the only way to be saved, and that He shed his blood for our sin, paid it in full there on the cross where He died, He rose again on the third day, ascended to Heaven and will return to earth at the appointed time. Good works do not save, Jesus is the only One who can save.
Acts 4:12  Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.
Isaiah 64: 6  But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away
Acts 16: 30-31  And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved?  And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.
John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

5) Confess to God that you are a sinner, in need of the Savior Jesus Christ, that you want to be saved now.  Repent of all known sin, turn from it, to live in it no longer. Ask Jesus to save you now.
1 John 1:9  If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Don't leave this most important decison for another day. Come to Jesus today!

What really matters?

Sometimes people will say that God seems so far away or that they feel like God doesn't really speak to them. The truth is that God is interested in us and that He does care to speak to us. The main way that He speaks to us is through the written Word of God which is the Bible. It is God's Word to us. He speaks to us through the Bible. We just need to get to a quiet place and begin to read. God says that His Word will not come back empty.
In Mark chapter 8 verses 36 -37, Jesus speaks these words - He asks these questions.
³⁶ For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?
 ³⁷ Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?
What is the point that Jesus is getting at here? We know that each of us is a body and we each have a soul. Our soul is the part of us where we think and reason - the "real" part of us and the soul is eternal. The body is the part of us that gets old. Sometimes when a person has a birthday especially a more elderly person, you will hear them say -" I feel like I should only be 30 yet" when in fact the birthday is more like maybe 70's. A person will feel this way because the soul doesn't get old. We only feel age in our bodies.  It is only the body that begins to show age and as much as one may try to hide the aging process, no one can escape it.
The body will die but the soul never dies. At death, the soul is released from the body and goes straight to eternity. If we have accepted Christ as our Saviour from sin through the finished work that  He did for us on the cross, then the soul goes directly into the presence of God and Heaven.  If on the other hand a person has rejected Christ and one has never commited his or her life to Jesus, then that soul will face eternal condemnation in the only other place and that is hell.
So Jesus is asking us to consider - is there any point at all to trying to gain the world here and not take care of our eternal destination. A person may have the best richest house in the world,a mansion  or the biggest farm or business, drive the most expensive car, you could be a famous actor, or a  celebrity of sorts, maybe an NFL football player or the President or Prime Minister of a country or the Queen of England. The list of possibilities is endless. BUT if you have all these earthly possessions or power, whatever possible thing there is out there in this world  and if you don't have Jesus as your Saviour, all is lost. Riches and position in life will not be enough to get anyone into Heaven. The only "ticket" so to speak that will get you into Heaven is Jesus - that you commit your entire life to Him, nothing held back. So we need Jesus, Jesus only! There isn't anything in this world that is any value at all in comparison to the value of our soul. Make your decision for Jesus today and let's be ready to meet Him.

God first....

A scribe came to Jesus and asked Him a question--  "Which is the first commandment of all?"   So Jesus gives him the answer:
Mark 12:29-32 ...
 And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord:
 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.
 And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.
 And the scribe said unto him, Well, Master, thou hast said the truth: for there is one God; and there is none other but he

Love God wth all our heart, soul, mind and strength - put God first in everything and second - love others