Will You Wage War on Evil?

by Franklin Graham

I cannot overstate what a dangerous era we have now entered. Immorality and debauchery are endorsed—and celebrated—by courts and political leaders. God’s standards are mocked, and the battle lines are clearly drawn between a decadent, defiant culture and believers who are committed to the truth of the Gospel.

The Scriptures state just how serious the rejection of God’s truth can be: “Where there is no prophetic vision the people cast off restraint, but blessed is he who keeps the law” (Proverbs 29:18).

The church of the Lord Jesus Christ provides culture not only with encouraging salt and light, but also with a divine restraint on the spread of evil and wickedness

What Would You Like Your Last Words to Be?

By Greg Laurie

He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon.”Amen. Come, Lord Jesus. Revelation 20:22

A person's last words often provide a glimpse into their character. They reveal what a person valued most. Some parting comments are thoughtful; others spontaneous; others surprising.

On March 14, 1883, the day Karl Marx died, his housekeeper came to him and said, "Tell me your last words, and I will write them down!" Marx replied, "Go on, get out! Last words are for fools who haven't said enough!"

Groucho Marx's last words were, "Die, my dear? Why, that's the last thing I'll do!"

Nostradamus predicted the future correctly: "Tomorrow, I shall no longer be here."

Pablo Picasso said, "Drink to me. Drink to my health. You know I can't drink any more.

The Roman emperor Julian, having attempted to reverse the official endorsement of Christianity by the Roman Empire, gave his last words: "You have won, O' Galilean!"

The words of men of faith are far different.

When Stephen, who was being stoned to death, was dying, his last words were, "Look, I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God" (Acts 7:56). Then Stephen said, "Lord, do not charge them with this sin." Young Stephen—so like Jesus, who from Calvary said, "Father, forgive them for they know not what they do."

John Wesley said, "The best of all is: God is with us!"

D.L. Moody: "I see earth receding, and heaven is opening. God is calling me."

F.B. Meyer requested, "Read me something from the Bible—something brave and triumphant!"

Here are the last recorded words of Jesus: "Surely I am coming quickly" (Revelation 22). The apostle John, overwhelmed, offers a prayer: "Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus!" The word Amen means "So be it!" Or as Saint Paul said, "Let it be." (Saint Paul McCartney, that is.)

What would you like your last words to be?

Darlene Zschech - God Is Here

Time to Wake Up

By Greg Laurie

And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. (Romans 13:11).

Have you ever had someone call you very late at night or very early in the morning? The voice on the other end asks, "Did I wake you?"

And what do we usually say? Most of the time we say no. For some reason, we always want to deny the fact that we're sleeping.

Writing about the imminent return of Christ, the apostle Paul said, "And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light" (Romans 13:11–12).

The J. B. Phillips paraphrase states it this way: "Why all this stress on behavior? Because, as I think you have realized, the present time is of the highest importance—it is time to wake up to reality. Every day brings God's salvation nearer."

Paul wasn't addressing his words to nonbelievers. He was writing to Christians. He was addressing his remarks to genuine believers whose spiritual lethargy and laziness made them appear and act as though they had no spiritual life.

Maybe his words have more relevance for people who have been walking with the Lord for a while. When you're a new Christian, you're full of energy, not unlike a young person. You want to go out and do things for God.

But when you get older, you want to take a nap. And I think sometimes that believers who have known the Lord for a while may be in more danger of falling asleep than those who are young in the faith.

Believers need to wake up. The coming of the Lord is near.

As the Deer Pants for The Water - Maranatha Singers

WHAT ARE YOU SAYING?

Amazing grace abounds here always. The devotion to worship and thanksgiving was such that brought out the best from the congregants. The SCOAN Sunday service of August 9, 2015 was another occasion inspired by Heaven for the redemption of lives and the restoration of peace and freedom to the sons and daughters of God.

Evangelist Bose took the congregation on an excursion into the depth and freshness of the Word of God in a message that bordered on our response as Christians to situations around us. Titled WHAT ARE YOU SAYING, the message dwelt on what is expected of a true Christian in the face of all the vicissitudes of life: “When you are faced with a trying situation which tends to challenge your faith in God remember to take your place in the believer’s authority as a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people. We have the authority because Jesus Christ is supporting our position”.

She further said, “When you have a place in the believer’s authority, you have the name of Jesus Christ at your command. You can contact God in the name of Jesus Christ because God loves you just as much as He does any of His children. When you have a place in the believer’s authority, even though you walk through the valley of shadow of the death you will fear no evil. When you have a place in the believer’s authority, every mountain shall be levelled for your sake, every hill shall be made plain for your sake, every rough road shall become smooth for your sake”.

Evangelist Bose further stated that when we cry and lament over unpleasant situations we are giving our problems more impetus to magnify themselves above us. But commanding them to dance to the tune of what the Word of God says reduces them to nothing before our very eyes. Evangelist Bose captured the foregoing thus: “When you are crying, lamenting saying, God why me of all this, why me of all that, why me of all these problems, you are magnifying the adversary above our Heavenly father thus destroying your own confidence in God’s Word. The Word dominating your mouth would soon dominate your heart. The Word coming forth from your mouth produces an overcoming spirit within you. Never allow your situation, challenges or your circumstances to dictate the direction of your confession”.

In her final admonition, she urged Christians to guard their confessions so as not to give unnecessary strength and stamina to the devil to mock them and make them toys in the hands of his agents and discouraging situations that rear their ugly heads in the course of their journeys through life: “You cannot rise above the level of your words! It’s not possible; you cannot talk contrary to God’s Word and expect to win His blessings and His favour. Do you know that with your mouth you constantly paint the public picture of your inner self…? Let your words becomes the photograph of the future you aim, propose, you pray for, not of the future you fear. Your mind must be disciplined to become your servant not your master”.

Source:  https://thetbjoshuafanclub.wordpress.com/

DISCUSS YOUR FUTURE IN CHRIST JESUS

“Many have changed the history of their lives because they fell into the trap of looking back. Many have not discovered the promise of God for their lives because they keep taking journeys into yesterday. Many have stumbled in their walk with the Lord because they built their future around their past and present circumstances”. With these deep and incisive words, Evangelist Justin engaged the congregants’ minds in a message titled, ‘DISCUSS YOUR FUTURE IN CHRIST JESUS’.

 Evangelist Justin observed that the totality of a Christian’s life is made meaningful only when it is viewed from the perspective of Christ who died for our sins. “What is your situation? Do you feel condemned, bound, trapped, chained down because of your past? I want to tell you that there is hope – Jesus Christ is the hope. Jesus does not look at where we are coming from but where we are going. He does not look at our present situation but our future – Jesus Christ enters our lives to put an end to our past and gives birth to our future”.

Speaking further, Evangelist Justin opined that our future as Christians depends on Jesus who was sent to die for us. He stated that our past is over when the sanctifying power of Christ falls upon us and makes us new: “When your past is over, you are sanctified by the truth of Christ. There is a cleansing virtue in Christ’s Word – the Gospel. God has, as part of His sovereign plans, brought us to faith by grace. This is known as sanctification, without which no-one can see God”.

 In his final words, Evangelist Justin urged Christians to put their past behind them and embrace their new identity in Christ while allowing Him to discuss their future: “No matter the situation you are in, remember, Jesus Christ discusses your future; therefore, change your thoughts and words and begin to discuss your future in Him… Never think or talk on the level of your old life – change your thoughts and words because you are new creation in Christ Jesus. Let your heart be engaged with God’s Word because if your heart is not engaged with God’s Word, it will be engaged with thoughts from your past”.

Source:  https://thetbjoshuafanclub.wordpress.com/