Hebrews 13:8 Jesus Christ the same yesterday…Today…and Forever!
He is the first and Last
The Beginning and the End!
He is the keeper of Creation and the Creator of all!
He is the Architect of the universe and the Manager of all times.
He always was, He always is, and He always will be …
unmoved, Unchanged, Undefeated, and never Undone!
He was bruised and brought healing!
He was pierced and eased pain! He was persecuted and brought freedom!
He was dead and brought life!
He is risen and brings power!
He reigns and brings Peace!
The world can’t understand him,The armies can’t defeat Him,
The schools can’t explain Him, and The leaders can’t ignore Him. Herod couldn’t kill Him, The Pharisees couldn’t confuse Him, and The people couldn’t hold Him! Nero couldn’t crush Him, Hitler couldn’t silence Him,
The New Age can’t replace Him, and “Oprah” can’t explain Him away!
He is light, love, longevity, and Lord.
He is goodness, Kindness, Gentleness, and God.
He is Holy, Righteous, mighty, powerful, and pure.
His ways are right,
His word is eternal,
His will is unchanging, and His mind is on me.
He is my Savior, He is my guide, and He is my peace!
He is my Joy,
He is my comfort,
He is my Lord, and He rules my life!
I serve Him because His bond is love, His burden is light, and His goal for me is abundant life.
I follow Him because He is the wisdom of the wise,
the power of the powerful, the ancient of days, the ruler of rulers, the leader of leaders, the overseer of the overcomers, and is to come. And if that seems impressive to you, try this for size.
His goal is a relationship with ME!
He will never leave me,
never forsake me,
never mislead me, never forget me,
never overlook me and
never cancel my appointment in His appointment book!
When I fall, He lifts me up!
When I fail, He forgives!
When I am weak, He is strong! When I am lost, He is the way!
When I am afraid, He is my courage!
When I stumble, He steadies me! When I am hurt, He heals me!
When I am broken, He mends me!
When I am blind, He leads me!
When I am hungry, He feeds me! When I face trials, He is with me!
When I face persecution, He shields me!
When I face problems, He comforts me! When I face loss, He provides for me!
When I face Death, He carries me Home!
He is everything for everybodyeverywhere, every time, and every way.
He is God, He is faithful. I am His, and He is mine!
My Father in heaven can whip the father of this world.
So, if you’re wondering why I feel so secure, understand this…
He said it and that settles it.
God is in control, I am on His side,
and that means all is well with my soul.
Have you ever had a song that you listen to and it brings you to tears? Well this one is mine!
This world we live in is so shifty, things change…times get hard…But one thing you can take to the bank is that Jesus will never fail you!
My hearts cry now more than ever is I’d rather have Jesus…
Here is the Crabb Family singing this song (Yes I know this is the 2nd southern gospel group in 2 days…And it’s on TBN!…. I’m Sorry) But boy is it good!
I’d Rather Have Jesus – The History I’d Rather Have Jesus is a song written by Rhea F. Miller with the tune written by George Beverly Shea. This poem, written in 1922, was left on a piano in the Shea home by Bev Shea who wanted her son to find it and change the course of his life.
The words, I’d rather have Jesus, moved George so much and spoke to him about his own aims and ambitions in life. He sat down at the piano and began singing them with a tune that seemed to fit the words. Shea’s mom heard him singing it and asked him to sing it at church the next day.
George’s life direction did change. He was offered a popular music career with NBC, but a few years later chose to become associated with evangelist Billy Graham and sang this hymn around the world.
I’d Rather Have Jesus – The Lyrics
I’d rather have Jesus than silver or gold;
I’d rather be His than have riches untold;
I’d rather have Jesus than houses or lands,
I’d rather be led by His nail pierced hand.
Than to be a king of a vast domain
Or be held in sin’s dread sway,
I’d rather have Jesus than anything
This world affords today.
I’d rather have Jesus than men’s applause;
I’d rather be faithful to His dear cause;
I’d rather have Jesus than world-wide fame,
I’d rather be true to His holy name.
He’s fairer than lilies of rarest bloom;
He’s sweeter than honey from out of the comb;
He’s all that my hungering spirit needs,
I’d rather have Jesus and let Him lead.
If everything comes down to love
Then just what am I afraid of
When I call out Your name
Something inside awakes in my soul
How quickly I forget I’m Yours
(PRE-CHORUS)
I’m not my own
I’ve been carried by You
All my life
(CHORUS)
Everything rides on hope now
Everything rides on faith somehow
When the world has broken me down
Your love sets me free
When my life is like a storm
Rising waters all I want is the shore
You say I’ll be ok and
Make it through the rain
You are my shelter from the storm
Everything rides on hope now
Everything rides on faith somehow
When the world has broken me down
Your love sets me freeI am not my own
I’ve been carried by you all my life
(CHORUS)
Everything rides on hope now
Everything rides on faith somehow
When the world has broken me down
Your love sets me free
You’ve become my hearts desire
I will sing Your praises higher
Cause Your love sets me free
Your love sets me free
Your love sets me free
There was a story that I once heard…and I found the story on www.christianchallenge.com..
Back on June 30, 1859, a man by the name of Charles Blondin crossed Niagara Falls on a tightrope. He crossed on a 3 inch manila rope stretched 1,100 feet across the falls at a height of 160 feet. Not only that but in the ensuing days he also accomplished these amazing feats while crossing the falls: he executed a backwards somersault, crossed while blindfolded, while pushing a wheelbarrow, on stilts, in the dark with Roman candles flaring from the ends of his balancing pole, and one time even stopped half way across and cooked an omelet on a portable stove and lowered it to a boat below him.
Then on September 15, 1860, he accomplished his most amazing feat of all and it went something like this:
Before crossing the rope on that particular day Charles Blondin turned to the crowd and said, “Do you believe I can carry someone across the rope on my back?” The crowd roared its approval, “Yes, we believe you can!”
Then Charles asked for a volunteer, “Who will volunteer?” The crowd was silent. He then pointed out one man standing nearby, “How about you?” The man said, “Hardly, you don’t think I am going to risk my life like that, do you?” and he turned away.
Next Charles pointed out another man, “And what about you?” The man replied, “I believe. In fact, I have no doubt at all.” Charles said, “Will you trust me?” The man replied, “I will!”
The man then proceeded to climb on the back of Charles Blondin and they headed across the falls. The crowd waited breathlessly while they crossed and roared their approval once they completed the crossing. What they didn’t know was that the man who crossed on Blondin’s back was Harry Colcord, his manager. You see Harry Colcord knew how good Charles Blondin was and fully trusted him. His faith was secure, as the object of his faith, Charles Blondin, was trustworthy and had proven himself so over the years.1
Jesus Christ is the object of our faith. He has proven Himself trustworthy. He created the world we live in. He came and lived a blameless life without sin. He served and sacrificed, even to the point of dying on the cross for our sin. Then He overcame death and arose from the dead because He was God who came in the flesh. He has power over death and power over life. He is worthy of our trust.”
So Faith… What is it?
Ephesians 2:8-9, We are saved by faith.
Rom. 1:17, We live by faith.
Rom. 4:13, We receive righteousness by faith.
Rom. 5:1, We are justified in Christ by faith
Rom. 5:2, We have access to God’s grace by faith.
2 Cor. 1:24, We stand firm in our belief by faith.
Gal. 3:14, We receive the promise of the Spirit by faith.
1 Tim. 1:4, We do God’s work is by faith.
Gal. 5:5, We wait for the return of Christ by faith.
Indeed, faith is very important; it is vital to the Christian.
I have learned a few thing about faith over the years.
1. You must have your own faith.
It’s important to you as a person/christian to have your own faith…Not your parents faith, your youth/senior pastors faith..YOUR OWN FAITH! it doesn’t matter if your dad was a preacher and you were born in the church..Your mom singing in the choir hits a high note and out you come..Still you must have your own faith
2. Gotta add to your faith.
How do you do that? Reading the word of God-praying-fasting Growing on your own..I tell the young people in my youth group all the time..We want you to have a relationship with Jesus Christ, so when you graduate from youth groups you don’t graduate from your faith..
It breaks my heart to see teenagers stop going to church when they graduate from high school. That is why it is vital youth pastor for us to give them the tools they need to learn and grow as a christian!
3. You’ve got to add to your faith..
More than just coming to church or youth groups…Going to church doesn’t make you a person of faith..I eat at the local Mexican restaurant , that does not make me Mexican! You have got to add to your faith, if fact the bible says without faith it is impossible to please God..WOW
So what is faith, Proverbs 3:5-6 say: Trust in the Lord with ALL your heart don’t lean to your own understanding but in ALL your ways ackowledge HIM and HE will direct your path…
So you can trust God with your….
I. FUTURE>
He knows the plans he has for you! Life might seem hard but Trust HIM because he said He will direct your path if you do!
And just know..His ways are not your ways, His thoughts are not your thoughts..God is up to something Big in your life..Trust Him and he will never fail you..Might take a testing/trial/storm or 2 to get you to the place that he wants you.BUT HOLD ON! HE HAS YOUR BEST IN MIND!
II.Failures>
We all mess up.
we are a bunch of Sinning, low life, no good, can’t do any good if we wanted to WRETCHED SINNERS!
I’m so thankful for His mercy and His grace,
Funny story about mercy..When I was about 15 years old my brother and I got some bottle rockets from some friends. It was the 4th of july…
Now in order to make the story come to life I’ve got to set the stage. I grew up in downtown Chattanooga TN, the house my mom and dad live in is Fort Wood. A historical part of town..It’s on the campus of UTC “University of Tennessee @ Chattanooga” right next door to the Kappa Sigma Faternity house.
So the stage is set. 4th of July, a 15 year old and a 8 year old (my brother) a pack of bottle rockets and some fraternity boys.
Mom was getting ready to leave for the afternoon, she said these words as she walked out the door.”BOY’S DO NOT TOUCH THE BOTTLE ROCKETS WHILE I’M GONE” ok mom…
Well about 10 min after she left, I heard the pop of a bottle rocket outside..The Kappa Sigma Guys were having a bottle war! IT”S GO TIME!
I got my brother, the bottle rockets, and 2 broom handles (they were hollow so you could shoot the bottle rockets out)
There I stood a 15 year old boy, Having a HUGE bottle rocket war..Well I didn’t relize was my shirt had little burning holes all in it from the bottle rockets shooting back at me..About the time I was really getting into it…MOM TURNED THE Corner…at that moment heat and fear came over my body…. We were about to get half dead! Needless to say it was not a good time on our backside that night!
Why did the punish us? Because we disobeyed…I’m thankful for the fact That God gives us mercy..Because non of us deserve Heaven, we deserve HELL! Our sins alone should send us to hell. I have heard it once said “Mercy is God’s ministry to the Misirerabell” Thank God for Grace and Mercy!
III.Fears>
I’m scared of a bunch of stuff.
I know we all deal with fears, some are scared of
Spiders
Snakes
Flys
Dark
Highest highs
Flying!
And some are personal
Not fitting in…
Not good enough
To fat
To skinny
Not Popular enough
Not Smart enough
It’s all Lies from Satan….You are God’s master piece created in Christ Jesus..
That’s why he said You can trust me with you fears. He understand your fears!
IV> Footsteps
He know’s the plans that he has for us. Sometimes theses plans are different/harder/worst/better than we think they could or can be.
I don’t worry about tomorrow because I know who holds tomorrow! God is in control…I think of the song
“When Jesus is my portion my constant friend is He..His eye is own the sparrow and I know he watches me”
He knows the plans he has for you! Trust Him….Have Faith in Him
You might feel forgotten…alone…abandoned…and maybe even like you once heard the voice of God…but for some reason, can’t hear it now…
You used to feel like you were close to Him…but ministry has taken away your intimacy/excitement/joy, and You feel like the One who called you is SO far away.
So you assume He’s forgotten you…sent you where you are basically to get you out of the way so that He can get to other “important” things.
You’ve prayed…you’ve read your Bible…you’ve fasted…and NOTHING.
So…the only “logical” conclusion is that He’s forgotten you and that you, for some reason, no longer matter.
NOTHING COULD BE FURTHER FROM THE TRUTH.
Isaiah 49:14-16 says,Yet Jerusalem, “The Lord has deserted us; the Lord has forgotten us.” Never! Can a mother forget her nursing child? Can she feel no love for the child she has birthed? But even if that were possible, I would not forget you! See, I have written your name on the palms of my hands. Always in my mind is a picture of Jerusalem’s walls in ruins. I WILL NOT FORGET YOU!See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands…” (Emphasis mine)
You might be thinking right now that you have been forgotten for various reasons…
The critics seem to be getting louder…and maybe even more numerous.
You are not getting enough rest…and you really do feel like the key to getting His attention again is to DO MORE, WORK HARDER…and so you are desperately seeking His approval. (See Matthew 3:17)
You are not seeing the “success” that other ministries are seeing.
The “new idea” that you once had and were convinced that it was going to be successful was a miserable failure.
The enemy is real…and wants us to feel abandoned and alone!
But reality is this…if He called you then He WILL finish what He started!
He is still with you…and will NEVER leave you or forsake you!
I don’t know where you are…OR what you are going through…but HE DOES…and He will fill you with HIS Spirit and HIS strength and sustain you.
DO NOT give up on the God who hasn’t given up on you…even though you can FEEL that He’s with you…that doesn’t change the FACT that He’s there.
You’re not forgotten. If you are still breathing then He isn’t finished with you. The churches best days are ahead of her…not behind her…and He’s called you to be a part of it!!!
He has NOT forgotten you!
You must Preach the Word!
I want you to listen to 2 songs… Let the word of these two songs below
1. Encourage you and
2. Challenge you… To get up, shake off the dust from under your feet and get to work!
….Sorry, I understand that the first video was a southern gospel group, ha ha I know some of ya don’t like it..But boy what a message! And for the second video. The Power point was horrible…But that song has got a white boy wanting to shoot hell with a water pistol HA ha! God bless you I love ya!
Faithfulness. it seems that most Christians defined faithfulness as how steady they are at their attendance of worship services held at the church building. While I think that coming together as a church family is something that is vitally important…! I do not believe that it should complete our definition of what is faithful.
I have come to know many people in my life that make it a point to be at their church at the appointed times throughout the week and yet seem to forget that they are a Christian unless they are in the church building. The truth is we are the church. The building that we gather at on Sunday is simply a place built to hold all of us at the same time. The real work of the church takes place outside of the building in which we meet.
I am reminded of the lyrics of a song written by Casting Crowns:
If we really are the body of Christ then let Sunday be the time in which we come to share how the work of Christ is going in our everyday life. To be recharged & challenged Let us come to worship services worn out from the way that we have allowed ourselves to be used to build up the kingdom of God. Let us reach, teach, and serve because we are His body!
If you have known me for an amount of time, 3 things should stand out to you.
1. I love Jesus
2. I love my Smokin HOT wife kym!
3. I love my Colts!
Now say we get in the car drive 9 hours South to Miami to watch the Colts play in the 2010 Superbowl! we buy our $350 ticket on the 40 yard line.. Payton Manning walks by and tips his hat and says “JC…Great day for football huh”?
We get all excited….The other team kicks off.. we run the ball back to the 50 yard line..Payton Manning, Jeff Saturday, Dallas Clark, Reggie Wayne, Garcoin…They all take the field!
Now we know from being a Colts fan and from having watched the greatest QB that has ever played the game of football take the field so many times and scoring from so much further back, that our chances of putting us up by 7 right out of the gate is is better than good it’s about to happen…BUT, what if they take the field and do something that’s not normal….THEY HUDDLE–After the huddle they run back to the sidelines untill the play clock has run down and they go out and do the same thing 3 more times..I’m going to ticked off! I didn’t come here to watch them Huddle up call a play and go sit on the side lines.. I WANT TO SEE THEM RUN THAT PLAY!
Same thing for us Christian…We can’t just get use to going to church, hearing the call/cry/mission and then Go home and sit on the side lines for 6 days and then come back the next sunday and do the same thing…We have got to take Jesus to the world!
BE THE BODY OF CHRIST!
Faithfulness, it is so much more then simply attending church services. It is a life transformed by the power of God. It is a soul cleansed by the blood of Christ. It is a live that cannot be lived for anyone or anything other then Christ.
“We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed; Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body.”–II Cor. 4:8-10.
I was looking at some images from the Gulf Coast and all those people lost so much, blown away by the powerful surge of Hurricane Katrina. It was like a half-tsunami, half-tornado that wouldn’t quit…and the wasteland left behind extended from the coast northward for 90,000 square miles.
We have sat speechless, watching the surreal scenes, and this time it’s not half way around the world, but in our own backyard. Like 9/11
Have we gotten use to live with War?
Tonight Kym and I always watch the 11 o’clock news…About 10 min into the news she looks at me and says, it sure is good to know that God has everything under control.
WOW! HE DOES…What seems to be chaos to us God understands..Has it ever occured to you that nothing has ever occerd to Him!?!
The surge of trouble is nothing new to God’s people. The Bible is filled with stories of those in trouble.
1.The Hebrew children had their fiery furnace.
2. Daniel had his den of lions.
3. Joseph was cast into prison.
4. Paul was shipwrecked and beaten with stripes.
5. Peter was sent to prison.
6. John was exiled at Patmos.
7. James had his head cut off.
8. David fled from Saul.
9. Samson had his eyes put out.
Makes me think of the verse in Psalm 34:19
Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the Lord delivered him out of them all.
Clyde Gordon, who was completely paralyzed from his neck down, edited a magazine called The Triumph. In it he said:
“Christ is no security against storms,
But He is perfect security in storms.
He does not promise an easy passage,
But He does guarantee a safe landing.”
Someone else said, “The road to success is always under construction. It seems that those who seem to have it hard always get more done.”
Paul said in I Corinthians 10:13, “There hath no temptation (trouble) taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation (trouble ) also make a way to escape.”
One old preacher said that we ought to be good to everybody because everybody is having a tough time
7 ways God may use a “Chaos” in our lives:
1. To Direct Us.
Sometimes God must light a fire under you to get you moving. Problems often point us in a new direction and motivate us to change. Is God trying to get our attention?
2. To Inspect Us.
People are like tea bags…if you want to know what’s inside them, just drop them in hot water! Has God ever tested your faith with a problem? What do problems reveal about you?
James 1:2-3
My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; [3] Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.
3. To Correct Us.
Some lessons we learn only through pain and failure. It’s likely that as a child your parents told you not to touch a hot stove. But you probably just like me learned by being burned. Sometimes we only learn the value of something by losing it.”
4. To Connect Us.
Trouble not only draws people together, but it also draws them to the Lord. David said, “Before I was afflicted, I went astray” (Ps. 119:67). Many a person has called for a preacher in time of trouble to make things right with God.
5. To Protect Us.
A problem can be a blessing in disguise if it prevents you from being harmed by something more serious. I read about a guy who was fired for refusing to do something unethical that his boss had asked him to do. His unemployment was a problem – but it saved him from being convicted and sent to prison a year later when the management’s actions were eventually discovered.
Joseph said to his brothers in Genesis 50:20 But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive.
God is the only true “surge protector!”
6. To Perfect Us.
Problems, when responded to correctly, are character builders. God is far more interested in your character than your comfort. Your relationship to God and your character are the only two things you’re going to take with you into eternity.
7. To Project Us.
Philip. 1:12
Now I want you to know Brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the Gospel
Did you know that an eagle knows when a storm is approaching long before it breaks? The eagle will fly to some high spot and wait for the winds to come. When the storm hits, it sets its wings so that the wind will pick it up and lift it above the storm. While the storm rages below, the eagle is soaring above it.
The eagle does not escape the storm. It simply uses the storm to lift it higher. It rises on the winds that bring the storm.
When the storms of life come upon us we can rise above them by setting our minds toward God. The storms do not have to overcome us. We can allow God’s power to lift us above them. It is not the burdens of life that weigh us down; it is how we handle them.
Isaiah 40:31
But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.
God is at work in your life – even when you do not recognize it or understand it. He’s in the storm with you. He’s calling you to rise above it…to be a water-walker, not a boat person.
Keep your eyes on Him during the storm so it doesn’t get you down!
No fear can haunt us. And no foe can daunt us because we have Jesus and that’s all we need!
Peace to you my friend in the midst of the chaos. take heart, Jesus Knows..He’s got the whole world in His hands!
They say walking brings on labor..So that being the case and now that it has been freezing outside for the past 2 week straight walking laps around Wal-mart has become a nightly event here at the groves household…
You know one has no life when you look froward to going and walking laps at the local Wally-world..(not cutting any corners…you walk in the front door, turn left (the only left you will take) go around the outside isle through the “food court” entering the “Cheese/Yogurt/sandwich meats”…continue on in front of the “Photo Center” headed straight to the “Electronics”….turn right @ the “Automotive section” and walk back behind all the Lights, Fans, heaters..Entering the “Sporting goods sections” you then proceed to turn right by the “hair products” making your way back to the front of the store where you continue on for 6 to 8 laps.
And just so you know. (in case any of you readers are wanting to take up Wally-World-Walking 6 laps = 1 mile…
It is important that you understand Wally-World-Walking can become habit forming. So walk with Caution and Knowledge that this is more than just a stroll through an awesome store!
Some of the benefits you gain from Wally-World-Walking
1. The workers know you
2. They call you by name: the “Prego-wally-walkers”
3. They know you will never steal anything from them
4. Good chance if “they” are about to close a line they will see you and stay open untill you go through the line..Asking you to put the “LINE CLOSED” sign behind your items.
I hope I have encouraged you to take up this sport of Wally-World-Walking.
