Bright and Morning Star

"I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star."

"I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near; A star shall come forth from Jacob, A scepter shall rise from Israel”.....

The night is almost gone, and the day is near. Therefore let us lay aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. --- "Until the cool of the day when the shadows flee away, Turn, my beloved, and be like a gazelle Or a young stag on the mountains of Bether."

"Watchman, how far gone is the night? Watchman, how far gone is the night?"

The watchman says, "Morning comes but also night. If you would inquire, inquire; Come back again."

"I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life and I will give him the morning star”.

"Take heed, keep on the alert; for you do not know when the appointed time will come.

"It is like a man away on a journey, who upon leaving his house and putting his slaves in charge, assigning to each one his task, also commanded the doorkeeper to stay on the alert. "Therefore, be on the alert--for you do not know when the master of the house is coming, whether in the evening, at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or in the morning.....in case he should come suddenly and find you asleep. "What I say to you I say to all, 'Be on the alert!'"

(Rev 22:16) (Num 24:17) (Rom 13:12) (Son 2:17) (Isa 21:11) (Isa 21:12) (Joh 8:12) (Rev 2:28) (Mar 13:33-37) -sbagster

HAVE YOU READ YOUR BIBLE TODAY?

Bright and Morning Star

"I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star."

"I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near; A star shall come forth from Jacob, A scepter shall rise from Israel”.....

The night is almost gone, and the day is near. Therefore let us lay aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. --- "Until the cool of the day when the shadows flee away, Turn, my beloved, and be like a gazelle Or a young stag on the mountains of Bether."

"Watchman, how far gone is the night? Watchman, how far gone is the night?"

The watchman says, "Morning comes but also night. If you would inquire, inquire; Come back again."

"I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life and I will give him the morning star”.

"Take heed, keep on the alert; for you do not know when the appointed time will come.

"It is like a man away on a journey, who upon leaving his house and putting his slaves in charge, assigning to each one his task, also commanded the doorkeeper to stay on the alert. "Therefore, be on the alert--for you do not know when the master of the house is coming, whether in the evening, at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or in the morning.....in case he should come suddenly and find you asleep. "What I say to you I say to all, 'Be on the alert!'"

(Rev 22:16) (Num 24:17) (Rom 13:12) (Son 2:17) (Isa 21:11) (Isa 21:12) (Joh 8:12) (Rev 2:28) (Mar 13:33-37) -sbagster

HAVE YOU READ YOUR BIBLE TODAY?

SIN AT THE SPEED OF LIGHT

Facebook, Twitter, My Space, InstaGram. Communications vehicles of the internet. Messages and ideas transmitted from a portable computer in Rome, Georgia and received in seconds in a basement apartment in Perth, Australia with copies acknowledged in Munich, Paris, and Budapest. Once the SEND button is clicked, your words literally travel around the world. Once the written (or pictured) word is released, it remains on someone's system somewhere FOREVER.

Gods bookkeeping is kinda like the internet in that every word, deed, good or bad, every lie and every sin is recorded FOREVER. Eventually, each of us will stand before one of two thrones and the books will be balanced. [Revelation 20:12]

When I was young, our music came on 78 rpm records. Portable radios weighed 14 pounds. My first telephone number was 21. We still used out-houses and thunder mugs, and Airmail had only recently been invented. No cell phones, no Ipods, no CD's. Sending a message to a distant city meant writing, by hand, your words, sealing them in an envelope affixing postage of three cents, and delivering it to the postman. Within a week, message received. Airmail, two days quicker, but the price would be 13 cents. THIRTEEN CENTS........CAN YOU IMAGINE?

Back then a person had time to think about what was being written. Time to consider what the impact might be on others. Words have power you know. On more than one occasion “time” saved my bacon. Time allowed me to reconsider my words, and since letter writing and mailing is not instant, hurtful and even shameful words or news was changed or tempered to soften or place into perspective the intended message. The letter would be received only by the intended party and unless carelessness ensued, would remain private. Confessed sins would not become public fodder. Oh how things have changed!

Today, the internet, Facebook, Twitter, et al, have become Satan's most celebrated tool. “Sin, at the speed of light” is Hell's new motto. The Devil no longer has to roam the earth to and fro, all he needs is reliable 4G service! Not only can you SIN, that SIN can be posted on Facebook and SHARED, and others will CONGRATULATE you on this public confessed SIN and CELEBRATE the very SIN itself!! How cool is that? Even though you know that what is being shared was a SIN before the SIN was committed, you still SINNED, then posted that SIN on your page, even added your new Photo showing the broad smile of approval on your proud face, and.............other ignorant souls applaud the SIN and offer their laudatory comments in support.

Oh my Lord, how far we have fallen. How grave is our illness?

“ANATHEMA MARANATHA” ! ! ! [1 Cor 16:22—KJV]

HAVE YOU READ YOUR BIBLE TODAY?

SIN AT THE SPEED OF LIGHT

Facebook, Twitter, My Space, InstaGram. Communications vehicles of the internet. Messages and ideas transmitted from a portable computer in Rome, Georgia and received in seconds in a basement apartment in Perth, Australia with copies acknowledged in Munich, Paris, and Budapest. Once the SEND button is clicked, your words literally travel around the world. Once the written (or pictured) word is released, it remains on someone's system somewhere FOREVER.

Gods bookkeeping is kinda like the internet in that every word, deed, good or bad, every lie and every sin is recorded FOREVER. Eventually, each of us will stand before one of two thrones and the books will be balanced. [Revelation 20:12]

When I was young, our music came on 78 rpm records. Portable radios weighed 14 pounds. My first telephone number was 21. We still used out-houses and thunder mugs, and Airmail had only recently been invented. No cell phones, no Ipods, no CD's. Sending a message to a distant city meant writing, by hand, your words, sealing them in an envelope affixing postage of three cents, and delivering it to the postman. Within a week, message received. Airmail, two days quicker, but the price would be 13 cents. THIRTEEN CENTS........CAN YOU IMAGINE?

Back then a person had time to think about what was being written. Time to consider what the impact might be on others. Words have power you know. On more than one occasion “time” saved my bacon. Time allowed me to reconsider my words, and since letter writing and mailing is not instant, hurtful and even shameful words or news was changed or tempered to soften or place into perspective the intended message. The letter would be received only by the intended party and unless carelessness ensued, would remain private. Confessed sins would not become public fodder. Oh how things have changed!

Today, the internet, Facebook, Twitter, et al, have become Satan's most celebrated tool. “Sin, at the speed of light” is Hell's new motto. The Devil no longer has to roam the earth to and fro, all he needs is reliable 4G service! Not only can you SIN, that SIN can be posted on Facebook and SHARED, and others will CONGRATULATE you on this public confessed SIN and CELEBRATE the very SIN itself!! How cool is that? Even though you know that what is being shared was a SIN before the SIN was committed, you still SINNED, then posted that SIN on your page, even added your new Photo showing the broad smile of approval on your proud face, and.............other ignorant souls applaud the SIN and offer their laudatory comments in support.

Oh my Lord, how far we have fallen. How grave is our illness?

“ANATHEMA MARANATHA” ! ! ! [1 Cor 16:22—KJV]

HAVE YOU READ YOUR BIBLE TODAY?

Love, Sweet Love

(1 Cor 13:1-13)-NASB

If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.

If I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. And if I give all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I surrender my body to be burned, but do not have love, it profits me nothing.

Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Love never fails; but if there are gifts of prophecy, they will be done away; if there are tongues, they will cease; if there is knowledge, it will be done away.

For we know in part and we prophesy in part; but when the perfect comes, the partial will be done away.

When I was a child, I used to speak like a child, think like a child, reason like a child; when I became a man, I did away with childish things. For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I will know fully just as I also have been fully known.

But now faith, hope, love, abide these three; but the greatest of these is love.

HAVE YOU READ YOUR BIBLE TODAY?

Love, Sweet Love

(1 Cor 13:1-13)-NASB

If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.

If I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. And if I give all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I surrender my body to be burned, but do not have love, it profits me nothing.

Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Love never fails; but if there are gifts of prophecy, they will be done away; if there are tongues, they will cease; if there is knowledge, it will be done away.

For we know in part and we prophesy in part; but when the perfect comes, the partial will be done away.

When I was a child, I used to speak like a child, think like a child, reason like a child; when I became a man, I did away with childish things. For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I will know fully just as I also have been fully known.

But now faith, hope, love, abide these three; but the greatest of these is love.

HAVE YOU READ YOUR BIBLE TODAY?

A Living Sacrifice

The Gospel is not just a statement of facts. It is not a collection of theoretical truths to be studied and pondered and debated. It is living reality. The Holy Spirit indwells every believer so that the truths of the Gospel may be evident in every area of our lives. [Cf: OBC ]

(Rom 12:1) Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.

The Apostle Paul opens Romans Chapter 12 with a –Therefore..., in light of the great mercies that God has lavished on us through His Blood on the cross. As the verse reads, we are to present our bodies a living sacrifice, as our spiritual service of worship. After all, this is the very least we should be doing after what he has done for us? Agree? So how do we do this?

Under the Old Testament Levitical Sacrificial system there were five offerings, Guilt, Sin, Fellowship, Grain and the Burnt offering. The burnt offering is the sacrifice being referred to by Paul in Romans 12. The Burnt offering was the highest of all the offerings because it represented the life of the offerer himself. The fire burned all day and all night and was all consuming. The animal took the place of the offender, the sinner in the fire on the Lord's altar. Christ's sacrificial offering (taking our place) was also all consuming, and instead of having to be repeated over and over again, it was once and for all. Again I ask, how are we suppose to sacrifice our bodies daily to our Lord?

Remember when Jesus prayed in the garden of Gethsemane on the eve of His crucifixion? As he prayed Luke said that His sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground. (Luke 22:44) Jesus was in anguish as He wrestled with the reality of what was about to unfold. Despite His feeling of isolation, Jesus gave Himself over to His Father's will, not His own:

(Luk 22:42) saying, "Father, if You are willing, remove this cup from Me; yet not My will, but Yours be done."

He was ready and willing to God to sacrifice Himself to correct the disobedient sin and error from long ago in the Garden of Eden.

We today can rightly sacrifice ourselves by giving our whole beings over to His will, abandoning our will and the will of the corrupt world in which we are Sojourners. The more we know about Christ Jesus, the more effective a sacrifice we become. The supernatural sanctification process is on going, changing us bit by bit through His hand, His will, His effort. Jesus does this. We just have to be willing, and place His will always in front of our will. For us humans, this is a very difficult task. Overcoming ourselves, our pride, our selfishness, our Egos, and placing Christ first, that is how we sacrifice.

Almighty Father, Lord Jesus, let all that I do this day be as a result of Your will and not my will. Show me, grow me, teach me, all glory to you, In the name of Christ Jesus, Amen.

HAVE YOU READ YOUR BIBLE TODAY?