Posted at 10:54 PM in Religion | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
I am a dying man. The more I realize the purpose that I exist on this earth the more I understand that its not about what I can obtain or how smart other people think that I am. It's not about the accomplishments that I achieve or the awards that I can win. It's not about fulfilling the desires of this carnal appetite. After all does any of these things move us up in rank in the kingdom of God? Do we gain any extra favors from heaven for obtaining worldly accomplishments? I am not speaking of something that I don't know about. I have had all things desired. I speak as a man who has obtained things and accomplishments only to find no fulfillment and it only become a distraction to what is most important. It comes down to one thing and one thing only. Our existence is that our lives be a witness and living testimony that Jesus is alive and still walks on the earth. We solely exist to bring Glory to God only. It is something that happens on the inside, a change that takes place to where I now hate the sin that I once loved. It happens when we are like Paul when he said in Galatians 2:20 I am crucified with Christ: neverthless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. It's not necessary that I be near the cross or at the cross, but I need to be on that cross. Jesus showed us the way to have life and have it more abundantly. Romans 6:5 says "For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall also be in the likeness of his resurrection" We don't have a problem wanting the life after the resurrection, where we have the problem is finding our way to that cross. God knew what we were capable of with this sin nature. The word of God tells us.. “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; Who can know it? I, the Lord, search the heart, I test the mind, even to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his doings." Jeremiah 17:9-10
Has your heart deceived you?
Are you like me and found that you have trespassed against God with the sin of good intentions.
He Saved me! I am a new creature.. old things are passed away and behold all things have become new!
We are to not have the same desires we once had. We can't possibly come into an encounter with God and not be changed. The very one who breathed this world into existence. When He touches us there is CHANGE.
Matthew 10:39 says,
He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.
I'm a dying man and GLORY BE TO GOD!!!!
Posted at 09:04 PM in Religion | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Posted at 10:05 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
"0 God, give usmore men aflame for Thee!-men sick of the monopoly of the devil here and everywhere else; men with burning hearts, brimming eyes, and bursting lips; men who fear nothing but sin, love nothing but Thy supreme will, desire nothing but to die that other men might live. Holy Father, I ask Thee in Jesus' Name to give us these men, lest the church continue to drift farther and farther from the norm as revealed in The Acts of the Apostles. O Lord, awake us, lest we finally have to confess, 'I spent my lifetime twisting dynamite into curling papers'!"
Posted at 09:25 AM in Religion | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Today was a great day. I am so humbled and glad to be favored in my circumstances. God has been so good to Brandy and I. We are so excited about raising our little family into a might river of God flowing from generation to generation. However; sometimes I wonder when this world will come to an end though. As the reports of bad news spreading across this country we find ourselves examining the fruit and harvest of America. Any dysfunctional thing in our lives should truly be examined and considered to be the result of some sin. If our nation is dying then we must consider our ways. I believe as a Church we have lost our way. It has been said that first goes the family then goes the church then goes the nation. We have truly lost our sight and we have a form of Godliness denying the power thereof. What is it going to take to get the 75% of Americans who profess to be christians to wake up unto righteousness. We need be conformed to the Image of Christ and allow God to do such a work in our hearts that will echo throughout this world to such a degree that God hears from heaven and heals our land.
| Romans 6: 1-23 |
8 Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him: 9 Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him.10 For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God.11 Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.
12 Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.13 Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. 14 For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.
15 What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid.16 Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness? 17 But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you. 18 Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness. 19 I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness.
20 For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness. 21 What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death.22 But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life. 23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Posted at 08:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Posted at 05:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Have you ever wondered what the consuming fire is for as christians? We have a very demonstration in front of us on a daily basis all around us showing us how God wants to conform us to the image of Christ. In my daily walk, I am starting to see God in everything. The other evening I was in Houston and we have been working there the last few months doing some roofing in the south houston area. Well we are staying out in our motorcoach in a field. We accumulate some trash from time to time and it is important for me to find a place to dump it or burn it. This evening I decided to burn it. As I took the trash that we had accumulated and put in on the spot where we normally burned things, I preceded to start the fire. It took a minute or so for me to get the fire started good. It seemed as if I would never get it going good but the more I fanned the flame and added things to the fire that would burn easy, it built up pretty good. I found some other things such as old towels and some old carpet that needed to be burned too. Before I realized it the fire had grown to an unmanageable state. This is when I began to panic. I realized quickly that I had started something I might not be able to handle. The winds began to pick up as there was a tornado warning in the forecast. I ran and got brandy and then sprinted to the water hose. After I finally got the fire under control, God started dealing with my heart on this. He spoke to me and said Josh this is what I want to do in you. As I was listening He showed me how that we need the fire of God in our life to form us into the image of Christ. When there is a fire.. Things change. The object usually no matter what it is will change. It shows evidence of the fire. The Holy Ghost fire in our hearts is there to purge us of that which is not pure. The Bible says in Proverbs 17:3 " The refining pot is for silver and the furnace for gold, but the Lord tests the heart. This scripture speaks to me in volumes about the process of regeneration. When the fire of God began in my heart has it got hot enough to indefinitely change me or do I just get close to the fire to feel warm? We need to be changed. We need to stay in the fire so that God can perform the work that He desires to perform in us. We exist solely as a testimony that Christ is alive and still is walking on this earth through man. We must decrease and Him increase. Thought I would share my experience with you. Are you seeing God in everything today. Blessings, Josh
Posted at 05:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

Posted at 07:10 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)