The Living God

While browsing on the national geographic website I saw this photo of a Buddhist man carving an idol for himself. These verses came to my mind..."What profit is the idol when its maker has carved it, or an image, a teacher of falsehood? For its maker trusts in his own handiwork when he fashions speechless idols. Woe to him who says to a piece of wood, 'Awake!' To a mute stone, 'Arise!' And that is your teacher? Behold, it is overlaid with gold and silver, and there is no breath at all inside it." Habakkuk 2:18-19 "Beaten silver is brought from Tarshish, and gold from Uphaz, the work of a craftsman and of the hands of a goldsmith; violet and purple are their clothing; they are all the work of skilled men. But the Lord is the true God; He is the living God and the everlasting King." Jeremiah 10:9-10 What a privilege it is that we are no longer in darkness and idolatry, but know and serve the living God!

"More," by Stephen Gates

"Self Control", Sermon Excerpt

"Show me a man who is unwilling to exercise self-control and I’ll show you a man who is striding towards ruin. Self-control is a matter of the will. You purpose you will or you will not. That’s the distinction between self control or lack of it. Young people, the sooner you can learn this lesson, the better. It’s a valuable lesson that I would have to rank in the top five maybe of lessons of life to learn: Someones gonna be in charge, someones gonna give the orders. Is it going to be your body or is going to be your spirit? That is the essence of self-control and if it’s your body, then I say you’re on the road to ruin.

The Apostle Paul he didn’t sugar-coat it. Has anyone written more New Testament Scripture than the Apostle Paul? He was responsible for forming and expositing the doctrines, and yet he leaves the possibility open that if he does not discipline his body and make it his slave, he’s going to be, in the end, cast away regardless of how much preaching he’s done to others. That is a weighty statement.

2nd Timothy 3 describes those who are without self control, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, and in the end they perish. They might hold to a form of godliness, but there’s no power in it; we’re talking about self-control here. It’s such an imperative that Jesus said, “If you’re going to be my disciple you’re going to have to daily deny yourself.” The sins of the flesh kill their thousands, but lack of self-control kills ten-thousands. Lack of self control is like a fountain head from which all other sins flow out of."

~Clint Leiter

What Jesus is to Me

Jesus my Redeemer,

My Treasure above all things,

My Father, Brother, Savior,

My Lord, my Love, my King,

My Refuge and my Stronghold,

My Help, My Hiding Place,

My Joy and my Sustainer,

My source of Hope and Grace,

My Promised One, Defender,

My Messiah, Prince of Peace,

My Lion and Protector,

My Perfect Righteousness,

My Way, My Truth, My Life,

My Shepherd, El Shaddai,

My Priest, My Shield, My Light,

My Friend, the Crucified.