John 3:17

I went to Church last night after an exausting day at work. I did get to sleep a couple of hours before church though. That did help a lot.

Anyway, we got to church and during the worship service, my sweet Pastor asked me if had a message I could preach. He assured me it was o.k. if I couldn't, but I know that he doesn't do that unless the LORD leads him to. So I said, "alright".

Having no message actually "prepared", I began praying. I was still a bit out of sync and sleepy. You know how it is when you're really tired, and only sleep for about 1-2 hours; you are a bit refreshed, but still a little out of it.

Usually when the LORD appoints nights like this, this is the condition I am in. The LORD is faithful to set up a situation where I must rely on HIM alone!

So, as the service progressed, the LORD showed me a few things. Then, right when it came time to start, a visitor walked in. A precious little lady who visits us from time to time.

I knew the LORD was going somewhere. It's one thing to come down and teach on a level that everyone can understand, but another thing entirely to teach a word that the person NEEDS. Only God can do this, because only He knows what we need.

The LORD led me to John 3:16,17. The LORD impressed me to deliver this point, and share this with you today.

We all focus on John 3:16, for it is a powerful verse. But, in my personal experience, I can not recall ever, not even once, hearing someone preach on the next verse, John 3:17. This is equally important.

"For God so loved the world

that he gave His only begotten Son

that whosoever beliveth in Him should not perish,

but have everlasting life.

For God sent not His son into the world to condemn the world,

but that the world might be saved through Him."

John 3:16,17

Isn't that powerful?!

Someone needs to know that, Jesus' job is not to CONDEMN YOU! So many times, when we stumble, we fall, let's be plain - we sin, we have the idea that God is there just waiting to take us out!

THIS IS NOT TRUE!!!! God is waiting to reveal His great name of Salvation to us!

Jesus purposed to save the world, not condemn us. We are born condemned! Jesus didn't have to come to Earth, bleed, suffer and die to condemn us, we already were condemned! No, He came to save us.

We are condemned when we reject His Blood! Jesus is saying to us here, "I didn't come to make you feel worthless, helpless and forsaken! I didn't come to sentence you to judgement- you already are! I came to redeem you!"

What Love divine! We only need to be afraid of the LORD if we are stubbornly refusing to repent! If we are in continual sin, with no desire to change- we have good reason to fear God, for we are maintaining our state of condemnation and rejecting His precious Blood.

But if all we are asking is for fresh blood, so that we may be reconciled back to Him after our choices, that's PRECISELY WHY God sent His son into the world! Come freely, humbly but boldly.

Did He not tell us to Come unto Him, all who labor, and are heavy laden?

Amen, let's keep that in mind as we progress in our walk with Him! He is not come to condemn us, but to save us!

Hallelujah, God bless you!

Lift up His name today!



Update . . . .

Good Morning!

I am writing this from work this morning, and barely awake trying not to fall on the keyboard! So please pardon me if I have a few typos.

I want to say thanks to the folks that have been supporting this blog since it started a couple of weeks ago. I greatly apologize for not posting here consistantly. It has been so busy lately! I find it hard to create a half-concerted post. I would like to put quality posts up and share what the LORD shows me daily. How can you sum it up shortly? God is so good.

But please allow me to say thanks for following and please continue - we will be back on track soon- LORD willing!

May I encourage you all to share the Love of the LORD today by shining with First Love gratitude fir the LORD and His careful government of our lives!!!!!!!!!

Amen!

Happy Resurrection Day!

Good Morning! I really must apologize for not staying up to date lately, it's been really busy lately!

I really don't have much time this morning, but, I HAD to write to you today. This is an exciting day!! This is a day we set aside to celebrate the resurecction of our LORD Jesus Christ! I understand that we as Christians celebrate this every day of our life, however there is a special excitement today!

Round about 2000 years ago, the LORD Jesus Christ came to Earth, and lived among us. Oh what Love divine! Oh what humility! Oh what a Saviour, Oh Hallelujah! After walking in the humility footsteps His Father had set before Him, for 3 1/2 years, He willingly walked to Calvary's Hill, Surrendered His Spirit into His Father's Hands and died. Seeming as a total failure to the world.

This man who said He had come to free the world, was killed, by His own people, no less! "He saved others but could not saved Himself" the self-righteous and ignorant quipped (and still do). He was not bothered one bit! He knew His destiny.

"Lift up your heads, O ye gates;

and be lift up, ye everlasting doors;

and the King of glory shall come in.

Who is this King of Glory?

The LORD strong and mighty,

The LORD, mighty in battle."

Psalm 24:7,8

Who is this King of Glory? What was said to this statement? The LORD, strong and mighty! The LORD, mighty in battle!

Amen! HE IS THE KING OF GLORY!!!!!!!!!!!!

Make no mistake about it, Jesus is the King of Glory!

"Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly,

that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified,

both Lord and Christ."



Acts 2:36

He's Alive! He's Arisen! He lives in ME! And He Can and Will Live in You! If you just ask Him to! He wants us to make it more than we do!

I apologize if this post doesn't have much of a polished form, if I could just speak and not have to harness myself down to typing, you would see the excitment that Jesus brings!

Hallelujah He's Alive!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

"O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?"

I Corninthians 15:55



Please have a most blessed Resurecction Day!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Larry Norman

Hello, Hello!

It's been a few days since my last post; I know I've slacked off. This one will be short.

In the last few days I've been thinking about various things. I read a quite lengthy article on the life of Larry Norman. Being a musician and singer, I was very interested in this article. I've always been deep into music, and very interested in our musical predecessors. Most people that have known me just "don't get it", when it comes to my passion for music. So, I just leave it alone sometimes! HaHa!

Anyway, I was very, very struck by this article. For those who don't know, Larry Norman was a Contemporary Christian singer, one of the very first in the genre. I, personally, as a musician, probably fall more in the category of Southern Gospel than anything else, but have been richly blessed by many CCM artists, especially the older ones.

Larry Norman, to seriously paraphrase, was always controversial within the industry and the Church. This was definitely not anything new for the era; most of the founders of CCM or "Jesus Music" as it was known, caused much controversy within the Church.

But something did set Larry Norman apart from all of the other stories I've heard. He seemed to have a real passion for PLEASING THE LORD as well as reaching the lost. It's a question I've always had in the on-going controversy of Christian Music. What is too far? What is too worldly? We must reach down and meet dear souls where they are, but we CAN NOT loose our seperation unto the LORD.

I began to see myself in a different light. I've never been one to try to appeal to the world in my music. Southern Gospel is traditionally sung to a Christian audience. Before I came into the Southern Gospel world, I was in the Praise & Worship world as a worship leader, still singing to mostly Christian people. I began to see that it's easy to criticize people who we think are too worldly as they're trying to reach the lost. It's not so easy to realize that I've not had a burden to reach the lost! Which is worse?

I understand there is a ministry of exortation to the brethern. I also unserstand a lot of folks have gotten saved in "Christian-only" concerts. But what about a burden for the lost?

None of us are perfect- we all make mistakes. Perhaps in our modern, commercial Christian Music industry, we ARE too worldly. But perhaps we've also failed to see our own short comings.

I believe that if we lift up the LORD Jesus, just as He promised, HE will draw all men unto Him. We won't have to salt and pepper the Gospel. But the burden must be there to LIFT HIM UP!

Thank God for Larry Norman. A faithful servant of God. Thank God for all of our "Jesus Music" pioneers. Thank God for Jesus!

LORD, please help me to walk in balance, in Love, and in humility!

Please comment, and please keep praying for me! I'll pray for anyone out there if you wish!

And Jesus is ALWAYS praying, as well as the Spirit. So, WE CAN'T LOOSE!!!!!!