BEFORE YOU THINK!

Before you think of saying an unkind word…
Think of someone who can’t speak or hear…

Before you complain about the taste of your food…
Think about someone who has nothing to eat…

Before you complain about life…
Think about somebody who went too early to death…

Before you complain about your children or grandchildren…
Think about somebody who desires children and can’t have any…

Before you complain about your dirty house, someone didn’t clean or sweep…
Think about the people everywhere who are living on the streets…

Before whining about the distance you drive to work and such…
Think about someone who walks that same distance because they have no choice…

Before complaining about being too tired from your job…
Think of the unemployed, the disabled, and those who wish they had your job…

Before you think of pointing a finger or condemning another…
Remember that not one of us is without sin, and we will all answer to one Maker…

Before your start to protest about the war in Iraq and elsewhere…
Think about the soldiers, both sides, and their families then pray, not complain…

Before you start to fuss about your president and government…
Remember we live in the greatest country in the world and God is in control…

Before you start to worry about taxes and bills, remember…
To praise the Lord who owns everything anyhow…

Before you start to think depressing thoughts, sit down,
Put a smile on your face and thank God you’re alive and still around…

Before you get too wrapped up in all the things of life…remember…
Life is a gift, Live it, Enjoy it, Celebrate it, and fulfill it…

Before you know it, your time may be up…!

THANK YOU LORD!

When the storms of life are raging, I look to Jesus, He’s my guide.
When the rough seas want to cover me, I know He’s by my side.

When trouble seems to surround me, my heart to thee I reach,
When my cry is heard before You, Your Word I know will teach.

It Will teach which way to travel, and point the way to go.
I know Your Spirit is in me and this I want to show.

Thank you Lord for listening and showing patience from above.
Thank you God my Father, for sending Jesus so full of Love.

Thank You Lord for the sunshine that gives such special light.
Thank You Father for stars that reach out and shine so bright.

I praise You Lord and Savior for everything you do.
My life I will sacrifice an offering, faithful and true.

I know it will not be easy, just show me where to be.
Your Word that’s in my heart, it needs to be set free!!

I praise You Lord and Savior, on Your Word I stake my claim,
I praise You Lord and Master; it’s Your Word I will proclaim!!

Thank You Lord for darkness that presses every night.
Thank You God for Jesus, our hope and shining Light.

Thank You Lord for Your disciples who were taught and trained by You.
Thank You Lord for training them so they could train us to.

I praise You, O my Savior; I love to share Your story,
And Father as I go out, I’ll give You praise and glory!!

Rngsffc.

A BURDEN FOR THE LOST!

Before the beginning of time, God saw not only the cry of his heart, but the cry within every human heart… The Mighty Three, the Triune God, broke through the hosts of hell to draw water from the Well of Bethlehem… God was in Christ, reconciling the world to Himself... Now the offer to sinful humanity is: "Whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life" (John 4:14)…

The true convert holds the Cup of Salvation in his trembling hands… He has seen the cost of his redemption... He sees that he was not redeemed with silver or gold, but with the precious Blood of Christ… Like David (2 Sam 23:15), he cannot drink of that cup in a spirit of self-indulgence… Rather than drink in the pleasures and the comforts of the Christian life, his reasonable service is to present himself as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable, and pour his life out as a drink offering to the Lord…

COMPASSIONATE HEART: I was killing time in a department store when an elderly man struck up a conversation with me… It wasn’t long before the conversation swung around to the things of God… When I asked this man if he had a Christian background, his answer was interesting… He said, "Oh, I am a churchgoer… I believe in God the Father; and the Son, He’s around too...somewhere…" As I continued in this conversation, I realized this man really knew very little about Christ and His payment for the world’s sin…

If you love God, your heart will go out to the millions who are in such a state… They are in the "valley of decision…" Valleys are often without direct light, and direct light is what sinners need… They don’t understand the issues… They are so close to salvation; it is as near as their heart and mouth… Yet without repentance, they will perish… Such thoughts are dreadful… If you are born of God’s Spirit, you will find that something compels you to run to the lost, to reach out to the unsaved, because God gave you a new heart that delights to do His will…When Christ really changes us from the inside out, our heart will be filled with compassion for the lost of this world…

“So long as there is a human being who does not know Jesus Christ, I am his debtor to serve him until he does." (Oswald Chambers)

"A true believer is ready to serve everybody wherever he can... He cannot but profess the gospel before men…When you get your new heart, you will be empowered to share the gospel with people you meet…Why? Because your new heart will be a heart filled with a burden for the lost of this world…Jesus had this burden…His personal burden was to seek and save that which is lost…” (Fisherman for Christ)

PUTTING THE PSAT BEHIND!

One cannot help but see Peter’s passion for the lost, so evidently portrayed for us in the Book of Acts… He put behind him the three denials of his Lord, and stood before a multitude on the day of Pentecost…

When a crowd gathered around the lame man who had been healed, he boldly preached the gospel to them… He testified before the very ones who had murdered the Savior, and he told them so… He had a passion for his God and a passion for sinners…but before he did this, he had to put his past behind and move forward as he knew his Lord had commanded…Don’t let your past slow you down from moving forward in the Lord’s Army…

WHAT WAS PAUL'S GREATEST PASSION?

What was the apostle Paul’s greatest passion? This longing, this ambition, this craving, was simply for the salvation of the lost… His greatest passion was for evangelism, something made evident by his own words…

In the introduction of his letter to the Romans, Paul said that he was in debt to the world... His evangelistic zeal was so great that he said he would give up his relationship with Jesus Christ if it would mean that his brethren would be saved…

LOOK AT THESE SOBERING WORDS:

I tell the truth in Christ, I am not lying, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Spirit, that I have great sorrow and continual grief in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my countrymen according to the flesh (Romans 9:1-3).

It’s my understanding that the apostle was already cut off from Israel because of his faith in Jesus… If it was merely a reference to being cut off from his people, why did he say that he had already suffered the loss of all things? If they were but rubbish to him, why then does he have to back that up with (what seems like) oaths to make his point?

It is as though Paul was writing to hearers who would not be able to understand such love… How could evangelistic passion ponder so heavy on a man that he was prepared to be cut off from any association with the Lord Jesus, to see that desire fulfilled? Such a statement could not penetrate selfish minds without a thoughtful preparation… They would not believe him, so Paul testifies to that in what he was about to say:

He is telling the truth in Christ… The very One who was truth itself was Paul’s witness that what he was about to say was true…

His Holy Spirit-regenerated conscience bore witness that he spoke the truth… He had cultivated a conscience that was tender before God and man, and the "work of the Law" did not accuse him of lying… His words could not be dismissed as mere exaggeration...

Deep within the soul of this man of God, lay a burden--a great sorrow, a continual grief, He was saved, but his brethren were not…

Perhaps you do think Paul was lying when he said that his concern for the lost meant more to him than his relationship with Jesus… Maybe he had no fear that all liars would have their part in the lake of fire... Of course, we can’t be the judge as to whether or not Paul was telling the truth in Christ, that his conscience was bearing witness in the Holy Spirit, but there certainly is evidence of his evangelistic priority in his writings…

Moses said a similar thing when he asked that God would cut him out of the book of life, rather than judge Israel…

In light of these thoughts, I don’t know how anyone can call himself a Christian and not have concern for the lost…

Charles Spurgeon said, "Have you no wish for others to be saved? Then you are not saved yourself. Be sure of that." He continued, "The saving of souls, if a man has once gained love to perishing sinners and his blessed Master, will be an all-absorbing passion to him… It will so carry him away, that he will almost forget himself in the saving of others… He will be like the brave fireman, who cares not for the scorch or the heat, so that he may rescue the poor creature on whom true humanity has set its heart… If sinners will be damned, at least let them leap to hell over our bodies… And if they will perish, let them perish with our arms about their knees, imploring them to stay... If hell must be filled, at least let it be filled in the teeth of our exertions, and let not one go there unwarned and un-prayed for."

When an emergency vehicle drives through a city, the law demands that every other vehicle must pull over and stop… Why? Because someone’s life may be in jeopardy…

It is to be given great priority... That’s how we should be when it comes to the eternal salvation of men and women... There is an extreme emergency… Everything else must come to a standstill, or we are in danger of transgressing the Moral Law, which demands "You shall love your neighbor as yourself."

Hell should be so real to us that its flames burn away lack of concern and motivate us to warn the lost… Do we see the unsaved as hell’s future fuel? Do we understand that sinful humanity is the anvil of the justice of God? Have we ever been horrified or wept because YOU fear their fate? The depth of our evangelistic zeal will be in direct proportion to the love we have…

If you are not concerned about your neighbor’s salvation, then I am concerned for yours…

DO YOU EVEN KNOW YOUR NEIGHBORS NAME? JESUS DOES AND HE KNOWS THE NUMBER OF HAIRS ON THEIR HEADS AS WELL…

YOU NEIGHBOR IS A SOUL THAT JESUS DIED FOR…

TAKE A MINUTE, SEARCH YOU HEART AND SEE IF YOU HAVE A REAL BURDEN FOR THE LOST…

If you do, go share the gospel with them…if you don’t, I will be praying for you in the next few minutes…

Thanks, and may the Lord add burden to your heart today…a burden for the lost of this world…

Rev. Robert N. Graves, Sr. Fisherman for Christ…

PRAISE AND WORSHIP!

Acts 16:23-26 “And when they had laid many stripes upon them, they cast them into prison, charging the jailer to keep them safely: (24) Who, having received such a charge, thrust them into the inner prison, and made their feet fast in the stocks. (25) And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them. (26) And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one’s bands were loosed.”

This Bible story begins the unjust arrest of Paul and Silas... Because they had cast a spirit of divination out of a girl, the local Philippian authorities beat them and then threw them into a jail cell... Besides the trauma of the severe beating, they were fastened in stocks which clamped their arms and legs in an immobile position, causing cramps and loss of circulation... The atmosphere there was depressing... According to the standards of that day, a prison was more like the resemblance of a dungeon... A dark, damp, stench-ridden place, with no facility for waste or comforts of any kind...(a slight picture of hell)

Yet, in spite of the throbbing pain in their bodies and the disheartening atmosphere, at midnight Paul and Silas were heard praying and singing praises to God! What a strange sound this must have been to the other prisoners, who were used to only hearing the groans or cursings of those who had been beaten...

Then suddenly, there was an earthquake that shook the prison! The doors flung open, and amazingly, the bonds of Paul, Silas, and every other prisoner were released! What caused this mighty discharge of power?

Praise Elevates us into God’s Presence and Power:
Paul and Silas knew the secret of how to lift their hearts above their troubles and enter into God’s presence and power... Through praise and worship their hearts were raised into the joyous presence and peace of God, and provided God a channel for his power to operate in their circumstances...

The Bible says that God inhabits in the praises of His people (Psalms 22:3)... In other words, God “dwells” in the atmosphere of His praise... This means that praise is not merely a reaction from coming into His presence - Praise is a vehicle of faith which brings us into the presence and power of God!

Praise and worship is the “gate-pass” which allows us to enter the sacredness of His glory... The psalmist writes, “Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name” (Psalms 100:4).

This corresponds with Jesus’ teaching, that His presence will inhabit the gathering of believers who congregate in His name: “For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them” (Matthew 18:20).

A “gathering in His name” means that Jesus must be the focus, the center of the assemblage... He must be the one preached about, sung about — the one praised and worshiped... “I will declare thy name unto my brethren, in the midst of the church will I sing praise unto thee” (Hebrews 2:12).

Consequently, Christ’s presence, along with His virtue and anointing, is manifested in this type of gathering...

Have you ever noticed when “gifts of the Spirit” operate in a church service? The power and anointing of the Holy Spirit usually becomes evident, subsequent to a time of worship and praise... Some think that worship is a response after the Holy Spirit moves upon them... However, it’s the other way around... God’s presence responds when we move upon Him with worship! Lifting up Jesus Christ through praise and worship invokes the Lord’s presence and power to flow in our midst...

What is Praise?
Praise means “to commend, to applaud or magnify...” For the Christian, praise to God is an expression of worship, lifting-up and glorifying the Lord... It is an expression of humbling ourselves and centering our attention upon the Lord with heart-felt expressions of love, adoration and thanksgiving... High praises bring our spirit into a pinnacle of fellowship and intimacy between ourselves and God — it magnifies our awareness of our spiritual union with the most high God... Praise transports us into the realm of the supernatural and into the power of God... “Blessed is the people that know the joyful sound: they shall walk, O LORD, in the light of thy countenance” (Psalms 89:15).

There are many actions involved with praise to God — verbal expressions of adoration and thanksgiving, singing, playing instruments, shouting, dancing, lifting or clapping our hands. But true praise is not “merely” going through these motions... Jesus spoke about the hypocrisy of the pharisees, whose worship was only an outward show and not from the heart... “This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me” (Matthew 15:8). Genuine praise to God is a matter of humility and sincere devotion to the Lord from within.

Unpretentious praise and worship pleases the Lord... He delights in the love and devotion of His children... According to the Scriptures, the various expressions of praise bring blessing to the Lord... He eagerly awaits the fragrance of our affections, desiring to manifest His sweet presence and power in our midst... “...the true worshipers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him” (John 4:23).

Praise to God is a Lifestyle!
All too often, praise to God is something that many people leave at church, an event that happens only when they come together with other Christians... However, praise should be a part of a believers lifestyle, inter-mingled as a part of their daily prayer-life...

At work, in the car, at home in bed, or anywhere; praise to the Lord brings the refreshing of the Lord’s presence, along with His power and anointing. “...I will bless the LORD at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth” (Psalms 34:1).

Praise is an expression of faith, and a declaration of victory! It declares that we believe God is with us and is in control of the outcome of all our circumstances (Romans 8:28)... Praise is a “sacrifice,” something that we offer to God sacrificially, not just because we feel like it, but because we believe in Him and wish to please Him... “By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name” (Hebrews 13:15).

Praise Sends the Enemy Running!
Since praise manifests God’s presence, we also realize that praise repels the presence of the enemy, Satan... An atmosphere which is filled with sincere worship and praise to God by humble and contrite hearts is disgusting to the Devil... He fears the power in the name of Jesus, and flees from the Lord’s habitation in praise... “Whoso offereth praise glorifieth me: and to him that ordereth his conversation aright will I show the salvation of God” (Psalms 50:23).

When the children of Judah found themselves outnumbered by the hostile armies of Ammon, Moab, and mount Seir, King Jehoshophat and all the people sought the Lord for His help... The Lord assured the people that this would be His battle... He told them to go out against them, and He would do the fighting for them... So what did the children of Judah do? Being the people of “praise” (Judah actually means Praise), and knowing that God manifests His power through praise, they sent their army against their enemies, led by the praisers!

So on they went, ahead of the army declaring, “Praise the Lord, for His mercy endureth forever!” And the scripture says, “...when they began to sing and to praise, the LORD set ambushments against the children of Ammon, Moab, and mount Seir, which were come against Judah; and they were smitten” (2 Chronicles 20:22).

When God’s people begin to praise His name, it sends the enemy running!

I challenge you to become a person of praise, and you will experience the release of the power of God!

Some Biblical Expressions of Praise:
Declaring of thanks (Heb. 13:15)

Clapping hands and shouting (Psalms 47:1)

Musical instruments and dancing (Psm. 150:4)

Singing praise songs (Psalms 9:11)

Psalms, hymns, & spiritual songs (Eph. 5:19-20)

Making a joyful noise (Psalms 98:4)

By lifting our hands (Psalms 134:2)

By being still (Psalms 4:3-5, 46:10)

By being loud (Psalms 33:3, 95:1-6)

Thanks and remember, If you want to send the enemy running away...just start praising His name and sing some praise songs unto the Lord...

Rev. Robert N. Graves, Sr. Fisherman for Christ!

THE IMPORTANCE OF PRAISE!

Praise to God is what we offer in acknowledgement of God's excellent being… You might think that praise is the same as saying "thank you," but there is a difference… Thanksgiving describes our attitude toward what God has done, while praise is offered for who God is…

Psalm 18:3 says "I call to the LORD, who is worthy, of praise…"

All believers are commanded to praise God! In fact, Isaiah 43:21 explains that praise is one reason we were created, "This people I have formed for Myself; they shall declare My praise..."

Hebrews 13:15 confirms this: "Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise - the fruit of lips that confess his name..."

Praise originates in a heart full of love toward God…

Deuteronomy 6:5 says, "Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength..."

Are you a Christian today? If so, you know that you love God because He first loved you! Without God's love, any praise you can offer is hollow… Love, born from a relationship with God through Jesus Christ, is an essential part of your praise…

How to Praise God:

How can you bring praise to God? What can you do to make it an integral part of your life?

Praise can be expressed in song, in verse, or in prayer and it is to be done continuously! Psalm 34:1 instructs, "I will extol the LORD at all times; his praise will always be on my lips."

Psalm 71:6 says, "From birth I have relied on you; you brought me forth from my mother's womb. I will ever praise you."

Praise to God is expressed outwardly through our everyday actions, as well as inwardly in our thoughts… Praise is an act of Christian worship…

"Where do I begin?" you may ask... "How do I start praising God?"

If praising God is new to you, try praising God for who He is to you, personally… Proclaim that God's goodness is without measure; it is abundant and overflowing!

Here are some ways to get started:

RIGHT HERE, TAKE YOUR BIBLE AND LOOK UP THESE VERSES:

Praise God for His holiness, mercy, and justice (2 Chronicles 20:21, Psalm 99:3-4).
Praise God for His grace (Ephesians 1:6).
Praise Him for His goodness (Psalm 135:3).
Praise God for His kindness (Psalm 117).
Praise God for His salvation (Ephesians 2:8-9)

Praise to God can be offered anywhere! In time, it will become as normal as taking a breath…

Sometimes we praise God inwardly as in Psalm 9:2, "I will be glad and rejoice in you; I will sing praise to your name, O Most High."

Other times we have opportunity to give glory and praise to our God publicly… Psalm 22:22 says, "I will declare your name to my brothers; in the congregation I will praise you."
Search out opportunities to bring praise to God!

Who Praises God? Praise to God, while offered particularly by His children as the freewill expression of grateful hearts, will one day be offered by everyone!

The Bible says that when He comes again, all mankind will praise Him and acknowledge Him as Lord… He is King over all the earth… When we know Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, our hearts long to praise His name…

Philippians 2:9-11 tells us His name represents His being, describing who He is, "Therefore God exalted Him to the highest place and gave Him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father..."

The Bible also records:
All nature praises God (Psalm 148:7-10).
The sun, moon, and stars praise Him (Psalm 19:1 and 148:3).
The angels praise Him (Psalm 148:2).
Even the wrath of men is used by God to praise Himself (Psalm 76:10).
Children are to be taught to praise God (Psalm 78:4).

Do You Proclaim His Praise?

Your praise to God is evidenced through your salvation… 1 Peter 2:9 says, "But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light."

How are you offering praise to God today?

Do you know Him as your Lord and Savior? If not, why not begin there…

When others look at you, do they see a reflection of God's praise? Psalm 113:3 declares, "From the rising of the sun to the place where it sets, the name of the LORD is to be praised…"

Praising God is part of what we were created to do…When we love God with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength, that love we have for Him is expressed, upward, inward, and outward toward Him…

It is a great thing to offer the sacrifice of praise to our Heavenly Father so get started right now…Take a few minutes right now and praise Him for who He is in Jesus name…

Thanks, and may the Lord bless you!
Rev. Robert N. Graves, Sr. Fisherman for Christ…

THE FRUIT OF THE SOUL!

CHRISTIAN CHARACTER...
Who are you when no one is watching?

We are living in the end times, when Jesus could come at any moment... If He tarries, though, the Church will likely face intensified persecution... I believe the ability to withstand persecution will revolve around what we might term, “Christian character...”

Our character has to do with who we are when no one is watching... Our reputation, on the other hand, concerns our behavior as it is seen or perceived by others...

“Good” behavior without character becomes hypocrisy...

This was revealed to the church at Sardis: “And unto the angel of the church in Sardis write; These things saith he that hath the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars; I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead” (Revelation 3:1).

The Book of Revelation was written, to a great degree, as a prophecy of the end times... It was also given as a warning to the Church... We, as Christians, are the Church...

Since Jesus could come at any moment, we should pay attention to the warnings... God’s message to Sardis was that they had a name—a good reputation—but were dead... They were living in hypocrisy... A good name is important; we want to have that... The basis of our reputation, though, should be Christian character... That is what will help us to withstand any persecution we might face. ..

God is never fooled
God is concerned about who we really are... Sometimes we can be fooled by something that looks good on the outside, but God is never fooled...

You see, we may be fooled by appearance, but God is not.

In the Old Testament, we read that the Prophet Samuel was instructed by God to go to the house of Jesse and anoint one of Jesse’s sons to be king...

When Samuel met Jesse’s eldest son, he saw that he was a goodly young man and felt sure that he was the Lord’s anointed... The Lord responded, “Man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart.” God knows what is inside, and had chosen the youngest son instead...

Good deeds not sufficient
We cannot manufacture spiritual fruit in our lives any more than the farmer can make fruit on his trees... God is the One who made the seed... He is the One who causes the tree to grow, the branches and leaves to appear, the buds to blossom, and the fruit to form... The farmer cannot do it; he just cooperates with God... The same is true spiritually...

The Bible tells us specifically that, as Christians, we should do certain things... Action is involved... God is more concerned, however, with who we are than with what we do... Good works will not save us... We could do every good deed we have heard of, and it would not be enough... We can be very careful to contribute to the missionary fund... We can give change to the homeless man on the corner... We can serve at our local soup kitchen... But if, at the same time, we are degrading our wives or neglecting our children, something is wrong... Character is something that comes from the heart... Good character will produce good fruit, but tacking on good deeds when the heart is not right is like putting paint over rotten wood... It might look fine, but it is not any good inside, or underneath...

We will never get the Lord into our lives by doing good works, but once we get the Lord into our lives, there will be good works—good fruit...

Consider virtue—one of the character attributes we are to possess... In 2 Peter 1:5 we are told, “Add to your faith, virtue . . .” How do we add virtue? By doing something virtuous? Maybe we decide to be very careful about dressing modestly... We might do that ever so virtuously but then turn around and criticize, argue, or complain... If that is the case, then something is wrong! No matter what we say, which good deeds we do, or what people think of us, if we do not have a heart that wants to do the right thing, there is something wrong... We want to have the fruit that comes out of the soul, because that is what will hold us up in the perilous times... An outward show will not do a thing for us when the testing comes...

Some of our folks are getting older and facing pain, suffering, and loneliness—circumstances that would get them down if they did not have something real in their hearts... Instead of complaining, though, they say, “I’ve still got the Lord!” Sometimes disease comes on and destroys the body or the mind, but it cannot take from the heart what God has done... That is Christian character... When everything else is gone, we still have what is in our hearts...

There will be evidence
When we have Christian character, the evidence will be in our behavior... When a person is saved, there is evidence of salvation... If someone says, “I’m saved,” but they continue to lie, steal, and live immorally, it is quite evident they are not saved... If you are saved, your behavior changes as evidence that something changed on the inside—in the heart...

We read in 2 Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore if any man be in Christ he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” If there is no behavior change, then the heart did not change...

Sanctification, too, is a definite experience that brings a difference in our lives... God’s Word teaches us that sanctification provides cleansing from the inward nature of sin with which everyone is born... There will be evidence in your life that you have been sanctified—purity on the inside that will show in your daily life...

When you get the baptism of the Holy Spirit, you will know it, and so will others... The baptism will make a difference in you... There will be a new power in your life... Your relationship with God will move to a new level, because the Comforter will be dwelling in you... It will show!

More than trying to do better
Good character traits are not learned in a ten-step program or from a self-help book... They are more than just trying to do better... They come through the work of God in the heart... The thing that will hold us together in the time of persecution and peril will be something God has given to us, not something we have tried to develop on our own... The secret is found in 2 Peter 1:3, which says that “his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness.”

God said, “Be ye holy...” He did not say for us to do something in order to look holy... He said, “Be” holy...

You cannot make yourself holy any more than you can save yourself, but when you get God’s holiness on the inside, your life and behavior will be holy and pleasing to God...

The Book of 2 Peter is not the only place in the Bible where we find this instruction to be, rather than merely to do... Yes, there are certain things God tells us to do, but there are more things He tells us to be...

Philippians 2:15 says, “Be blameless...”

Revelation 2:10 says, “Be faithful...”

Revelation 3:2 says, “Be watchful.”

Is it your desire to be what God wants you to be? The Lord’s help is available... This is a high standard, and God wants us to press toward it... We need that security for the end times... We need it if we are going to be ready when Jesus comes... We need it if we are going to stand true and faithful through times of persecution and peril...

Will your Christian character stand the test?

Don't just put paint over the rotten wood in your life but put on Christ who is able to change us from the inside out...

In Jesus Name...amen

Rev. Robert N. Graves, Sr. Fisherman for Christ

GOD IS ON OUR SIDE!

Romans 8:31, KJV. What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?

This verse from Romans really says to us, “With God on our side…how can we lose?"

It deals with faith…

Do you know that your faith is like a muscle? Opposition may strain it, but in the end it grows stronger…The Psalmist David understood this principle…His enemies continually hounded him…In other words, his enemies put his faith muscle through a major workout, which just made his faith stronger...

Even when he was being anointed to sit on the throne, Saul the old King was still occupying it…But instead of losing faith in God’s promise, David understood that, “The Lord has set apart (marked) the Godly man for Himself,” (Psalm 4:3)… So he declared, “In peace I will lie down…for you…Lord make me to dwell in safety…”(Psalm 4:8)…

When the Philistines surrounded him he prayed, “When I am afraid, I will…trust in You…(Psalm 56:3)… And when he ended up in a cave while fleeing from Saul’s jealous rage he said, “I will hide beneath the shadow of your wings until this is past…” (Psalm 57:1)…

Our faith will only be strengthened when we, Like David, face the calamites of life…with Faith in Our Heavenly Father…

During the third century, when St. Felix of Nola was running from his enemies, he also, took refuge in a cave…Eventually a small spider began to weave a web across the small opening; sealing it off and making it look like nobody had been inside for months…As a result his pursers passed by and didn’t bother looking there…

Later, stepping out into the sunshine, Felix declared, “Where God is, a spider’s web is a wall…and where He isn’t, a wall is but a spider’s web…”

Jesus said, “You’ll have problems on earth; people will disappoint you, and you’ll disappoint yourself…”

In this life we may fine ourselve in a cave of isolation because of all the problems we are facing…sometimes we will end up in a cave because of something we did, other times because of circumstances we have no control over…

What we need to remember is this, “God is with us either way…”

Like the Apostle Paul said in opening text, “With God on our side…How can we lose…?”

Thanks and May the Lord bless you this week…in Jesus name…

Rev. Robert N. Graves, Sr. Fisherman for Christ