September 11, 2001, a date we will remember. Today 10 years ago The United States was deliberately and defiantly attacked by 19 Muslim radicals. It was a turning point in American history, and changed forever the future of our nation. Most of us can remember where we were that morning. I was at work when some of the office personnel were watching the news about a plane that may have accidentally hit one of the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center. This intense watching of the news changed into shock when a second plane hit the other tower. Then the harsh realization set in, America was under attack. The word spread throughout the plant. In no time everyone wanted to know more. Then we watched in horror and sorrow as the towers fell. I know that you can probably remember what you were doing that day as well. Everyone wanted to know, how could this happen? How dare anyone do this in our own Country? That morning, our security and our peacefulness and our happiness and our pride had been brought down along with the towers that day.

This act of terrorism, hatred and aggression was a terrible deed, but not one of uniqueness. I can still remember Pearl Harbor from my parent’s accounts. Since mankind disobeyed God in the garden we have continued to kill each other from the time Cain slew Abel.

On Sept. 11 2001, we saw mankind at its worst; but we also saw mankind at its best. We saw the spark of God inside men and women wanting to help save others. They gave the supreme sacrifice to save the lives of perfect strangers, caring more for others than themselves. These men and women were true American heroes. That day nearly 3000 people perished, 3000 children had lost at least 1 parent and some both; 40 passengers on Flight 93 heroically took on the terrorists and saved either the Capital or the White House and all those who were in the buildings. Of those who died that day, 411 of them were emergency workers. 341 were firefighters, 23 were NYPD, and 37 were Port Authority officers, with the rest were Paramedics and EMTS. It is estimated that there were at least 14,000 people in the towers that morning and that the fatalities would have been worse had people not gone above and beyond to help their fellow man.

Also on that day, we became united as a people. We were united in our grief and our sorrow. There was no black or white, no rich or poor, no Democrats or Republicans only Americans united in our sorrow and pain.

The Bible says that Godly sorrow worketh Repentance unto faith. On that day God gave Americans a chance to call on the God of our fathers for comfort and for strength. After the attack people sought God by the thousands. Many lives were changed forever. Many people were saved. Many got right with the Lord. Churches began to fill. More had to be built or expanded to handle the crowds.

How and why did this happen? Where was God in all this? Why did God allow this to happen? Was it because of our turning from God as a nation that brought this action upon us? Were these people terrible sinners that deserved to die this way? Remember many Christians died that day as well. First we need to realize a few things about God’s dealings with mankind. First GOD IS IN CONTROL, nothing happens without his knowledge or allowance. Second GOD’S WILL, WILL BE DONE no matter what. Third we cannot always understand God’s ways because GOD’S WAYS ARE NOT OUR WAYS and his ways often are past finding out. Jesus  in Luke 13 asked his disciples a when a tower of Siloam fell and killed 18 people, why did it happen? Was it because they were the worst of sinners? He said no, but except ye repent ye shall all likewise perish. The towers fell because mankind fell in the Garden of Eden and sin became a part of this world. People die because of sin whether by accident, by terrorism or murder or health reasons or old age, people die because of sin, period. Good people and bad people, all people die; but if you repent and put your faith in Jesus you will live forever. This day as we remember 9/11, when the twin towers fell, I want everyone here to understand that OUR TOWER STILL STANDS!

Throughout history men have built towers, starting with the Tower of Babel to modern day skyscrapers, to the tallest tower in Dubai which stands at 2716 ft. high, well over ½ mile tall. The uses for towers are different. Most were built for defense against an enemy. They would allow a watchman to see the enemy from a long distance away, and if the enemy made it to the tower it became a place that could be defended against the enemy’s onslaught. Some towers became prisons. However today’s towers are built for much the same reason that mankind built the tower of Babel. Man’s towers today are architectural marvels built to show the world man’s superiority in matters of finance and business. They are built to boast of what we have done without giving God even a second thought. Mankind today  like those in Babel want to make a name for themselves and they put names on their towers, like Trump Towers, the Sears Towers. Mankind lives their lives apart from God and his will. Our towers have become towers of Mammon. The Bible says you cannot serve God and Mammon. The tower of Babel was built with brick and mortar, as were most historical towers. Today’s towers are built with steel and reinforced concrete, yet the towers fell. The Bible says that pride goeth before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall.

Our nation at the time of 9/11 was full of pride. We prided ourselves in our economy, which was booming. How is our economy today? We prided ourselves in our Armies and yet it only took 19 terrorist to bring us down. Our Armies today are spread too thin. They are involved in wars and incidents all over the world and our defense budget is breaking us. We prided ourselves in our world leadership. Today the world leader is fast becoming China which owns most of our debt. We prided ourselves in our diversity. Today that diversity is leading to persecution of that which is good to allow for that which is evil. All of the towers of men without God will come crashing down. Whenever man usurps God’s authority, whenever we decide to lean unto our own understanding and refuse God his rightful place as the creator and sustainer of the world, man’s towers will fall.

But PRAISE GOD there is a TOWER that will never fall. No matter what the world the flesh or the devil, our enemies, bring against our TOWER, IT WILL STAND. IT WILL STAND. Our TOWER is not built with brick and mortar or with steel and concrete. It is not built with the hands of man. Our TOWER is eternal; it has always been and always will be. Our TOWER is open to all mankind. Our TOWER is a place of refuge and safety. Our TOWER is a defense against all enemies. Our TOWER is a place of salvation. OUR TOWER IS JESUS. Our TOWER is the only begotten Son of God. Ps. 18:1-3, I will love thee, O Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high Tower. I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from my enemies. Proverbs 18:10, the name of the Lord is a strong Tower; the righteous runneth into it, and is safe. Jesus is our Tower and Jesus will never fall. In Jesus we are saved from our sins and are safe from anything that may come against us, If God be for us who can be against us.

Oh Christian American our nation is on the brink. We are still building man made towers and denying God in our national life, when what we need to do is come to the Tower that will never fall. We want to lift up our man made towers as they did in Babel, when we need to come to the Tower that was lifted up on a cross 2000 years ago. The Tower that has seen millions of heroes die through the years to see others saved from death, not physical death that will come to 100% of people, but spiritual death that will last forever. Oh Christian won’t you pray for America. Our leaders are doing everything they can think about doing to try to turn us around when what we need to do is to repent and seek his face.  I am going to ask you this right now, to decide in yourself, if you will stand with me for America.  Just ask yourself inside your heart; who will stand with me today and pray for our nation? Who will stand with me today and repent of our sins and will seek his face? Who will stand with me today and pray for mercy upon our nation? Who will stand with me today and say I will show others the Tower of our salvation our Lord Jesus Christ? If you are willing to take a stand for our country I want you  pray. Pray before it is too late. In Jer. 7 there came a time when God told his prophet to no longer pray for his people that he would not hear. Today Stand in the Gap, Make up the Hedge. Pray, repent, pray.

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I thought about what Bible passages I could use, and then I thought about using a well known Biblical character as an example. I thought about David, a man after God’s own heart. One of David’s sons raped his half sister. David’s other son her brother then kills him, and later turns on David and runs him out of office and out of town. His first official duty was to have sexual relations with his father’s concubines. Even David’s successor Solomon, another of David’s sons, though starting off good took after his father David and had way too many wives and concubines. This led to his heart turning from God and unto false gods. Solomon’s son Rehoboam split the nation and ruled Judah evilly.

I thought about Abraham but he had an extramarital affair. We can all remember Judge Eli and his wicked sons, Hophni and Phinehas. Then I realized that even called and blessed men of God had trouble raising Godly children. I asked myself why was it so, and God showed me two things.

The first thing that God showed me was the importance of the family to God. God’s first sanctioned union was between a man and a woman in marriage and in sexual oneness. God gave them a command to be fruitful and multiply.

In the Bible there are over 788,000 words. Most of these words are contractions and conjunctions and adjectives and adverbs. The most used word of what I call a major noun is the word LORD. the second most used major word is GOD. The eighth most used major noun is father or fathers. If you were to take the words father or fathers and the words son or sons and the words daughter or daughters and the words mother or mothers and make them all the word family, the word family would be the third most used major noun just behind GOD. That is how important the family is to God.

The second thing God showed me is how important the family is to the devil. The devil knows how important the family is to God therefore he attacks what is important to God. He also seeks to destroy the family because he knows that if he can make the family dysfunctional he can make a nation dysfunctional, and that is what the devil is doing in America, and especially in christian families.

This pricked me to the heart because I know that I could have done a better job at training my children and now it is too late; but then God showed me something else. It’s never too late to train up a child.

He showed me that the old adage, actions speak louder that words, is true. When we tell our children not to smoke and we smoke; what are we training them? We are training them it is alright to smoke. If we tell them not to do drugs and we do drugs; what are we training them? We’re training them it is alright to do drugs, because they are being trained by what they see not by what we say. So when our children visit us or when we visit them what do they see in us? Do they see Jesus in and through us. We can still train our children by living a Christ centered life. Will it be enough to change years of the wrong training? I don’t know. Only God knows.

God was not finished with showing me that, it is never too late. He brought to my remembrance an evil wicked king of Judah, King Manasseh. He was the son of a Godly king, Hezekiah, and yet at age 12 he began to reign and he was the most wicked ruler of Judah, even worse than the other nations around them. It was the wickedness of Manasseh that would seal the fate of Judah’s future captivity. It is strange that one of the most wicked kings would have one of the longest reigns in Judah, 55 years. After reading of his wickedness in 2 Chronicles 33:1-9, God speaks to Manasseh and the people and they would not listen. In vs 11 God uses the Assyrians to capture Manasseh and take him to Babylon. While there in chains, he besought the Lord his God, and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers, vs12. Then in vs 13, he prayed to God and God heard him and set him free and returned him to Jerusalem. Then it says that Manasseh knew that the LORD he was God. His life changes. He starts to destroy the idols he built, he repairs the temple, and reinstates worship of the Lord God of Israel.

Manasseh dies and his son reigns in his stead. His son does evil in God’s eyes. He didn’t learn from his fathers late life, but from his previous life of wickedness. Here you would think that Manasseh had failed, that his life didn’t matter; but his son only reigned for 2 years and was killed, and Manasseh’s grandson began to reign at the age of eight years old. His name was Josiah, and he was one of Judah’s most Godly kings. Now where did he learn to live Godly? It wasn’t from his father; but as a young boy, he saw the godliness in the last years of the most wicked king in Judah, how he lived for the Lord and worshiped him, and it defined this young boy’s entire life. It is never too late to make a difference in a child’s life, whether he is 40 years old or 4 years old, it’s never too late.

Father forgive us for our failures at child rearing. We pray right now for our children, and we give them into your hands. Father may we give our lives totally to you right now. May our children and our grandchildren see you in our lives. May our lives as well as our words, continue to train. In your name we pray, Lord Jesus, Amen.

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Why do Christians have such a hard time living, worshiping and serving the Lord together? I believe it is because we do not realize what it means to really love one another. I think that most of us would probably say that we do love our brothers and sisters in Christ. Yet how can we say that we love someone and then talk about them behind their back? How can we say that we love the brethren and have bad feelings about them? How can we say we love you but we will not forgive and forget like God does for us?

On the night of the Lord’s final supper with his disciples, shortly before he is betrayed, taken by guard to a mock trial, then to Pilate, who finds Jesus not guilty and yet still pronounces a sentence of death by crucifixion, Jesus teaches and shares his heart with his friends. From John chapter 13 through chapter 17 Jesus lets us see his final thoughts and prayer. In chapter 13:34 He says: A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. Vs 35 says, By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one for another. In John chapter 15 starting in vs 9 Jesus said As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love. Vs 12 This is my commandment, that ye love one another, as I have loved you. Vs 17 Jesus repeats it again, These things I command you, that ye love one another. Jesus continues his sharing with his disciples up to Chapter 17, when Jesus ceases his teaching and begins to pray. His prayer is divided into three parts the first part is His personal prayer between Him and His Father. The second part is His prayer for his disciples. The third part starts in vs 20, when He prays for us, people who would be saved because of the word of the disciples. In the very last verse of his prayer for us he says in vs 26 Jesus says And I have declared unto them thy name, and will declare it: that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them.

Love is of the greatest importance to God. In the Love chapter 1 Corinthians 13 the last verse says, And now abideth faith, hope, love these three: but the greatest of these is love.

Faith is a necessity, for by grace are you saved through faith Eph. 2:8; Without faith it is impossible to please God, Heb. 11:6. Faith is essential. Hope is our Joy and assurance;Acts 2:26, Rom. 5:2, Rom. 12:12. For we are saved by hope Rom. 8:24. Both Faith and Hope are extremely important but Love is even greater.

What does it mean to have God’s love for each other? How can we tell if we really Love the brethren? In Colossians chapter three we see what it means to have the love of Jesus. In verses 1-4 it talks of our new life in Christ, our death to our self and our sins and the world. In verses 5-9 it speaks of the putting off of the old man, the sinful worldly man and his evil deeds. Then in verses 10-14 we see the putting on of the new man, and it lists the Godly things we need to put on. Then in verse 14 it says, Above all put on LOVE which is the bond of perfectness. So how do we put on God’s love? In verses 12 & 13 it shows us the manifestation of the love of Jesus. Vs. 12, Put on therefore as the elect of God, holy and beloved,

1. Bowels of mercy. If we love others with God’s love we will have and show mercy, great mercy, bowels of mercy, mercy in every fiber of our being. When others treat us wrongly and are deserving of judgment, we need to have mercy toward them.
2. Kindness. Are we kind to other Christians even when that kindness is not returned. The scripture says that if our enemy hungers we are to feed them and if they thirst we are to give them drink. Are we showing kindness?
3. Humbleness of mind. Let this mind be in you that is also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled him self, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Let each esteem others better than himself. God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble.
4. Meekness. Meekness is the outward expression of inward humility. Blessed are the meek.
5. Longsuffering. Patient endurance. Enduring wrong, enduring hardships, enduring mistreatment by others. Long suffering means patiently enduring for a very long time, till we put off these old sinful bodies.
6. Forbearing one another. To control oneself when provoked for the good of the provoker. It also means to abstain from taking part in controversy. We do not argue and yell at each other.
7. Forgiving one another. Love one another, forgive one another. We need to forgive as God forgives, we need to forget as well. If we truly forgive our brothers and sisters, we won’t continue to bring up their shortcomings.

These are all manifestations of God’s love, Jesus’ love. Do we really have love one for another?

Lord Jesus, we pray that your love will freely flow through our lives that we will truly forgive, that we will truly have mercy and kindness toward others. We pray for your humble mind to be our humble mind and that that humble spirit will show forth meekness to others. Lord Jesus forgive us for our falling short in these areas all too often. Oh that we can all get along in Christ’s LOVE. Amen.

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I will give you some examples of these words and see if you can find them. I used to be skinny, but now I’m fat.  I used to have wavy hair, but now my hair is waving good-bye. I used to be an athlete, but now I just have sore feet. Did you catch the Two Little Words? The two words are “but now”.

When looked at through worldly eyes, they really don’t have much significance. It is a different story however, when looked at through spiritual eyes.  John Newton realized this in his hymn Amazing Grace, when he says, I once was lost “but now” I’m found was blind “but now” I see. These two words now have great significance. They show a condition before a certain point of time and a condition after a certain point of time. I once was lost BUT NOW I’m found, was blind, BUT NOW I see.  Lets look at a few examples of these Two Little Words in the New Testament (kjv).

The first example I want to look at is in 1 Peter 2, verses1-10. Verse 4, talks about Jesus, the living stone. Verse 5, talks about believers as lively stones built upon the living stone, Jesus. Verse 6 shows us Jesus the chief corner stone, elect precious, and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded. Verse  7  for believers, He is precious, but for the disobedient (lost sinners) verse  8, a stone of stumbling.  In verse 9, believers are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that we should shew forth the praises of Him who hath called you out of darkness into His marvelous light. Listen Believer, we were in darkness, but now we are in his marvelous light, and we are to show forth the praises of Him, Jesus! Verse 10, Which in times past were not a people, but are now the people of God; which had not obtained mercy, “but now” have obtained mercy.  Believer, up to a certain point in time, we did not have God’s mercy applied to our lives, but now after that point in time we have obtained his mercy.

Now lets look at Col. 1: 25-28. Verse 25, Paul is speaking about his calling. Whereof I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given me for you, to fulfil the word of God. Verse 26, even the mystery which hath been hid from the ages and from generations, but now, is made manifest to his saints: (all true believers). God had a plan to save mankind from their sins, but this plan is hidden from the lost. Not hidden by God, but by the devil. (read 2Cor. 4:1-6). God’s plan was hidden up to a point in time to us as well, but now the mystery is made known to us who believe. Verse 27,  To whom (true believers) God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; (what is this mystery?) which is, Christ in you the hope of glory! Praise God! Jesus in us the hope of glory! Amen and Amen. At one time we did not have Jesus in us and no hope of glory, but now!

Lets look at COL. chapter 3.  verse 1. If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.Verse 2, Set your affection on things above and not on things on the earth. Verse 5, Mortify therefore your members (die to the deeds of the old self) fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry: vs. 6, For which things sake the wrath of God commeth on the children of disobedience: vs. 7, In the which ye also walked sometime, when ye lived in them. BUT NOW ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth, vs. 9, lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man(or womam) with his deeds; vs. 10, And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knoledge after the image of him that created him:  There was a time when we walked and lived for sin and sinful ways, BUT NOW we are to put off  the things of the old man and put on the new man(or woman) which is being renewed daily after the image of Christ. BUT NOW!

Turn to Eph. chapter 2. Verse 1, And you hath he quickened (or made alive) who were dead in trespasses and sins:       vs 5, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace you are saved;) vs. 11, Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands; vs. 12, That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world: vs 13, BUT NOW in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.  Up to the time of Christ, God’s dealings with human kind came through his chosen nation of Israel. All of his promises and covenants were through the Jewish people and basically without a  relationship with Jehovah God you had no hope. Today it is the same without a relationship with Jesus. You have no hope and are without God. But now!, by Jesus Christ those without hope are made nigh by his blood. Remember Col 1:27 (Christ in you the Hope of glory!)

Have you ever had a But Now experience with Jesus?  Were you at  one time in darkness, but now, are in his marvelous light?  Were you at one time walking and living for the old sinful flesh, but now, are living for Him?  Were you once aliens from God with no hope, but now, Eph. 2:19 are fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God?

I pray that you have had that But Now experience; but if not, you will have a, but now, experience. Everybody will someday have a, But Now, experience. Please bear with me one more time.

Turn to Luke 16:19 There was a certain rich man which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously everyday. And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus which was laid at his gate full of sores. The true story of the rich man and Lazarus. Notice that in life the rich man gets top billing and is mentioned first. He wore purple and fine linen every day and had 10 course meals everyday, while poor Lazarus laid at his gate full of sores. You know that every time that rich man would leave his house he would see Lazarus lying there begging for food to keep from starving (vs.21) The rich man never even acknowledged he was even there. He had no compassion on him at all. The dogs had more compassion than he did at least they would come and lick his sores. In death, however, the rolls are reversed. Verse 22, And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried to Abraham’s bosom: the rich man also died and was buried. Verse 23, And in HELL he lift up his eyes, being in  torments. In life it was Lazarus who had to look up being in distress, now it is the rich man looking up in torments; and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. Verse 24, and cried and said Father Abraham have mercy on me,and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame. How many times had Lazarus cried to the rich man for just a crumb of food, now the rich man is crying for Lazarus and just one drop of water. Verse 25, But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things; But Now, he is comforted, and thou art tormented. The rich man also had a But Now experience, but his But Now led to eternal torment.

So you see everyone will have a, but now, experience. Which one will it be for You. You can make today that but now experience with Jesus Christ and be turned from darkness to light, to have the hope of glory, Christ in you. Do it today, do it now!

If you would like to have that but now experience with Jesus Christ, please contact me here!

In Christ’s love,

Don Broadhurst

MY FATHER NEVER SAT ME DOWN
TO TEACH ME TO BE A MAN.

HE SAID FOR ME TO READ GOD’S BOOK
AND FOLLOW IT THE BEST I CAN.

HE NEVER SAID TO WATCH THIS FILM
IT WILL SHOW YOU ALL YOU NEED.

SO HOW WAS I TO BE A MAN
WITHOUT HIM PLANTING SEED?

TIME HAS PASSED AND I LOOK BACK
TO SEE JUST WHAT IT TOOK

THAT CHANGED THIS BOY INTO A MAN
SO ALL I DID WAS LOOK.

HE TAUGHT ME HOW TO LOVE MY WIFE
BY HOW HE LOVED MY MOM.

HE TAUGHT ME HOW TO TELL THE TRUTH
WHEN HIS WORD WAS HIS BOND.

HE TAUGHT ME IT WAS OK TO FIGHT
TO DEFEAT EVIL BY THE GOOD.

HE TAUGHT ME ALL OF THIS AND MORE
AND HOPED I’D UNDERSTOOD.

I UNDERSTAND BUT NOW HE’S GONE
NO MORE HIS LIFE TO SEE.

AND AS A FATHER NOW I PRAY
MAY MY KIDS SEE MY FATHER IN ME.

A Poem by

Don Broadhurst

Technorati Tags: Dad, Father's Day, God, love, manhood

There He was sentenced and nailed to a tree,
and He stood there for hours for the whole world to see.

King of the Jews was the sign over his head,
a few hours of darkness then He was dead.

He died for the rich, the weak, and the poor,
but of one thing you can be perfectly sure.

That death could not hold Him nor make Him stay,
for He ascended to heaven on the third day.

He gives us the gift of eternal life,
no more pain or hunger or strife.

He knocks at your heart just let Him come in,
your life with Christ Jesus then will begin.

And when the time has come and death is near,
look to Heaven and have no fear.

For Jesus will take us by the hand,
and lead us to the Glory Land.

                   A Poem by Don Broadhurst

Technorati Tags: Calvary, Death, eternal, gift, glory, God, heart, heaven, Jesus, King, land, life, poor, rich, weak

Words are our means of communication.  Even in prayer our thoughts are in words. It is by our words that we can understand each other. When GOD wanted the work on the Tower of Babel to stop, he made it to where the workmen could not understand each others words.

It was by GOD’S words that the world was created. we see this in Genesis chapter 1: vs. 3 and GOD said, vs.6 and GOD said, vs. 9, vs 11, vs. 14, vs. 20, vs. 24, vs. 26, and vs. 29. GOD’S words.

It is by our words that man has also created such things as airplanes, automobiles, buildings, etc.. It is also by man’s words that things & places are destroyed; The Twin Towers, Pearl Harbor, the Holocaust, Hiroshima, Native Americans, etc..

In our families, words can either build up or tear down.  For good or bad we deal in words everyday.

The devil also deals in words as he tempts men and women everyday. When he tempted JESUS, what was one of JESUS’ replies to the devil? Jesus said man shall not live by bread (that which is physical) alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God (that which is spiritual).  Our bodies can live on earthly food, but we can not be spiritually alive without GOD’s word. We have GOD’s word today.  We can see it, hear it, touch it, read it, live it.

In GOD’s word, are the gladdest words we will ever hear or the saddest words we will ever hear. We will hear one or the other the choice is ours.

In GOD’s word we read that it is appointed unto men once to die; but after this the judgment. Heb. 9:27.  All men and women are appointed a specific and individual time of death and a time of judgment. At your judgment, you will personally hear either the gladdest words from  GOD or the saddest words from GOD to you . The gladdest & the saddest.

In Matthew Chapter 25 we see the gladdest words. Vs. 21, “Well done thou good and faithful servant thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy LORD”. Oh! What glad words. Jesus who is our LORD and savior will become our Judge. Can you imagine our precious LORD, who died for us telling us well done. Oh my! What wonderful joy and grace. We all know how good it feels for someone to tell us we have done a good job. But Jesus, our savior will tell us good job. Oh what a humbling thought. Then He calls us “faithful servant”.  I don’t know about the rest of you, but I find myself falling short of this title many times, and yet he calls us faithful.  How can he say that? Because he continues on and says, “thou hast been faithful over a few things”.  Praise God he does not expect all of us to be the apostle Paul or great evangelists like a young Billy Graham or a great expositor like an Adrian Rodgers. But he does expect us to be faithful over a few things like going to church, praying, studying his word, being a witness to a lost and dying world.  In the first part of this verse, we see Jesus’s praise, next we see our promotion.  “I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy Lord”. Whew, what a promotion.  From a “faithful over a few things servant”, to an “over many things ruler”.  Then to enter into His joy for ever.  His promise , his paradise, his person. Oh how marvelous! Oh how wonderful!  The gladdest words we can ever hear from Jesus.

Then there are many who will not hear the gladdest words, but the saddest words spoken by Jesus.

In Matthew chapter 7, we see the saddest words ever.  Starting in verse 21 it reads:  “Not every one that saith to me LORD, LORD, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven”.  The phrase LORD, LORD occurs 5 times in the New Testament.  All 5 times it refers to people who believe they are going to heaven, but are not. In vs. 22 – “Many will say to me in that day, LORD, LORD, have we not prophesied (preached, giving forth GOD’s word, thus saith the Lord) in thy name, and in thy name cast out devils?(exorcists) and in thy name done many wonderful works? (miracle workers).  All of these people believed they were saved by works not by grace through faith.  These people stand before Jesus to be judged individually and he will say these words to them, the saddest words ever spoken by Jesus.  In vs. 23 “And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you”.  Note he doesn’t say I used to know you, but now I don’t, you used to be saved, but you messed up now your not.  He says I NEVER knew you. The question isn’t only do you know Jesus, but does Jesus know you! There are a lot of false prophets out there claiming that they know Jesus and leading many astray. The devils believe in Jesus and tremble.  They know who he is and what he has done, but that doesn’t make them saved.  In the book of John -  Chapter 10 vs 11-14 Jesus says,  “I am the good shepherd and know my sheep”.  In vs. 27, “My sheep hear my voice and I know them and they follow me”. In vs. 28 “And I give unto them eternal life”…

Satan will seduce people into thinking that because they joined a church, or because they were baptized, or because of their great works for mankind, or because of a prayer they recited, that they are saved. It is not the prayer that saves us, but the Jesus of that prayer that saves us. It is his finished work on Calvary, his shed blood that saves us. If we will repent of our sins and come to him by faith believing we can be redeemed.

Now the saddest words ever spoken by Jesus, “depart from me ye that work iniquity”. Oh my God! how terrible to hear these words. All that preaching, all those exorcisms, all those miracles and Jesus will call them works of iniquity.  Depart from me; how final that is!  I can not even begin to imagine how terrible those words will sound. To be forever without hope. In this instance, there will be no words to describe it.  In Luke’s account of this judgment Chapter 13 vs 27  & 28, it says that not only will they be told to depart, but that they will have to be bodily thrust out.  There won’t be any macho men or women that day, only total anguish, weeping and gnashing of teeth.

The gladdest and the saddest. Will you hear, “well done” or “I never knew you”,  “faithful servant”  or ” worker of iniquity”, “enter thou into the JOY of thy Lord” or depart from me.

Which Words will you hear?

Dear GOD speak to hearts!
We give you all the Praise and Glory. Amen.

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I read your bio and wanted to ask a question. Maybe you could answer this for me on a post. I have decided to read the Bible and have found so many different versions of the Bible. Just in English over 50 versions. I know that everyone says King James 1611 but my question is why. For example the new international version isn’t it just a modern version of the King James? Well I guess what I am asking is can you do a post on which Bible is best for new Christians and most importantly WHY. Can I still reference newer versions of the Bible for clarification and a good explanation as why people frown on some versions. It would be fantastic if you could answer this for me in a post.

This subject has become an issue for decades and will continue to be so. The more the devil can get Christians to argue among ourselves the more he likes it.

The life of a man whether lost or saved is one characterized by choices. We make choices every day. Choices of what to wear, what to eat, where to go, etc.  Man was created with this ability and responsibility. We are always held responsible for our choices. Adam & Eve made a choice to not obey God, and mankind and woman kind were held accountable.

Most choices are not life changingly important. Some are very important; such as who you marry or your choice of profession.  One choice is eternally important. Will you by Faith, trust in Jesus Christ and his shed blood for the forgiveness of your sins and receive him as your personal Lord and Savior.

Once you have been born again you should find a Bible believing church and join by profession and believer’s baptism. Then you should  start to pray and study God’s word daily. If the church has a new converts class you should choose to attend it. If not the pastor would be glad to help.

Then comes the choice of what Bible version to use. This is where the controversy takes place. From this point on I will be giving my preference and my choice and why.

First let me tell you translations not to use. Ready! Any translation that denies the virgin birth or Jesus’ deity. Any translation that tries to diminish Jesus’  substitutionary death for the sins of mankind. Any translation that denies the bodily resurrection of Jesus. Any translation that usurps God’s authority by man’s authority. Any translation that adds to or takes away from the Book of Revelation. Any translation that teaches that there are more mediators between God and man, other than Jesus Christ. Any translation that denies God’s hatred for sin, but Love for the sinner. These are a few of the translations to avoid.

Now for my choice. I choose the King  James Version. I believe it to be an accurate translation from some of the earliest Greek manuscripts. It took 50 scholars 7 years to complete. Since 1611 it has been the most widely used translation for almost 400 years. People have tried to burn it, bury it, ban it, and banish it. But instead, God has blessed it above all other English versions over that period of time. More great revivals have been started by its use. Many notable men of God through the centuries have used it. Some would say that you can’t read its old English, and yet millions of children learned to read from its pages. Readability alone should not be the only measure of  acceptance.

God has told us in  I Pet. 1: 23- 25   Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.  24.  For all flesh is as grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof  falleth away: 25.  But the word of the Lord endureth forever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.

God’s word is eternal. God’s word is incorruptible. Peter believed that the gospel he was preaching was the word of God. The apostle Paul believed the same thing in  I Thes. 2:13.  Whichever version is your choice, you must believe without doubt that it is the word of God. Not that it contains the word of God, but that it is the word of God. Can you say that about your version? I pray so. I can.  For faith commeth by hearing, and hearing by the word of God!  Rom. 10: 17

God be with you till we meet again!

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