Sunday Sermon December 11, 2011 - "Tis The Season" 2011 ...

Well-it's THAT time of year again.  It's the season of "Happy Holiday" greetings at work, school, and in public places.  It's the time for the ACLU to attack every Nativity scene, every Christmas tree, and every mention of Jesus in the public arena.  It's time for the Salvation Army, which started out as a CHRISTIAN organization-preaching Jesus Christ to the masses, to stand in front of your favorite store and say "Happy Holidays" to you. And it's the time to forget about Jesus all together by focusing on Satan Claus and how many gifts you can get.

When I grew up-in a Jewish home, and in a predominately Jewish neighborhood, there were many Catholic families.  When somebody said "Merry Christmas" to me-I never got offended.  I just accepted it, and said "Merry Christmas" back.  They said "Happy Hanukkah" at the appropriate time.  Nobody ever got offended.

When I was a young adult, I was running from God.  People still said "Merry Christmas" to me, and I said it back-without being offended.  Go figure.

Nowadays, everyone gets offended over something.   The Muslims get offended because we say "Merry Christmas".  The "Kwanzites" get offended because nobody understands what Kwanza is.  The Atheists get offended because- that's what they do.  Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't Jesus Christ the reason for the season?  Without Christ, there is NO CHRISTMAS!  As a planet, we went from celebrating the birth of our Lord and Savior, to coveting things that we don't necessarily need, and usually cannot afford.  We went from worshiping our Savior, to idolizing Satan Claus.   I'm all for jolly fat men running around in red suits, but not when it takes our focus off of God, and on to less important things.

The good news this year is that more people are saying "Merry Christmas" instead of "Happy Holidays".  I'm not sure why that is the case, but I can say that I am happy about it.

Satan will do whatever he can to take the focus off of Jesus and move it to something or somebody else.  Let's be honest-anything or anybody else.  We not only need to keep our eyes on Jesus Christ, but we need to take the opportunity to share The Gospel with as many people as possible.  We're all going to come in contact with non-believers at work, school, at family gatherings, and even at Church.  Let's tell them what this "season" is all about.  Let's explain why God sent His one and only Son-Jesus Christ to earth in human form to live, be killed, and then resurrected from the grave.  Let's explain that through His shed blood, our sins are forgiven, and we are REDEEMED-if we repent of our sins and accept Jesus as Lord and Savior.  And-let's explain what happens without Jesus.

Do not be ashamed to talk about Jesus, whose glorious birth is the real reason for the season!  Share The Gospel!  Glorify Jesus Christ in all that you say and do!

Have a MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Can I get an AMEN?

Isaiah 7:10-16

Luke 1:26-38, 2:6-20, John 1:14

Sunday Sermon - October 23, 2011 (Video Sermon)

Psalm 139:13-16

Oh yes, you shaped me first inside, then out;

you formed me in my mother's womb.

I thank you, High God—you're breathtaking!

Body and soul, I am marvelously made!

I worship in adoration—what a creation!

You know me inside and out,

you know every bone in my body;

You know exactly how I was made, bit by bit,

how I was sculpted from nothing into something.

Like an open book, you watched me grow from conception to birth;

all the stages of my life were spread out before you,

The days of my life all prepared

before I'd even lived one day.

WATCH THIS VIDEO TO THE END TO GET THE MESSAGE.

P.S: Thanks Vinny Martinelli for thinking of me and forwarding this.  I'm praying for you!

Sunday Sermon October 16, 2011 - False Teachers

In my daily walk lately, I've been encountering individuals who claim to be CHRISTIANS who seem to be following men or women who've strayed from the Word of God. " Be BLESSED by GOD", "Be Your Best" "Send $10.00 today, and we'll send you an anointed prayer cloth blessed by Pastor So-And-So", " The Bible doesn't really mean what it says in that scripture", etc, etc, ad nauseaum....

All this will ever be is STINKING THINKING! If you're following a man (or women), you need to get your eyes off the messenger, and into the Message! You need to get your eyes off this person, and onto Jesus!

Brothers & Sisters-when a Pastor tells you not to believe a certain part of scripture-they are taking away from the sovereignty of God. They are toying with God's Word. This is dangerous territory.

Galatians 1: 8-9 (Amplified Bible) states:
But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to and different from that which we preached to you, let him be accursed (anathema, devoted to destruction, doomed to eternal punishment)!
As we said before, so I now say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel different from or contrary to that which you received [from us], let him be accursed (anathema, devoted to destruction, doomed to eternal punishment)!

I think this instruction is clear. If somebody preaches ANY OTHER GOSPEL, other than what is written in God's Word, they are to be ACCURSED! That means the preachers who are teaching the "Prosperity Gospel" are to be accursed. The pastors who are teaching that homosexuality is acceptable will be accursed. The ministers who are re-marrying divorced couples will be accursed. The bishops who are twisting scripture to allow themselves to live extravagant lifestyles will be accursed. The pastor who teaches that evolution is real will be accursed. The Reverend who teaches that " God Loves You", and will not call anyone a sinner or even talk about repentance-he is to be accursed.

Church-stop listening to what a human tells you, and listen to God! Remember-humans are imperfect. If you're following the teachings of a person who is straying from The Word of God, then you need to re-examine your Christian walk. The reason a Christian begins to follow these false teachers is because something huge has happened in their lives. It could be the death of a loved one. It could be the loss of a job. Someone in their family may have done something to them that is so bad-it would be hard to forgive them. It may be a lot of things, but the point is that person now begins to question God's sovereignty because of these circumstances. They begin to search for someone who will preach the "right message" to them. They will turn away from God's Word, and look to the words of a man for their answers. We need to make sure that we-as Christians are constantly studying the Bible, and understanding God's Word. Then, and only then can the Holy Spirit keep us on the right path. Only then can the Peace of God be in us. Only then can the Word of God be made clear to us through God's Holy Spirit. Only then, can we have direction from God. Only then, can we find forgiveness for ourselves and for those who have offended us!

Brothers & Sisters-I pray that The Word of God will dwell in your hearts, and that you would constantly seek to draw closer to Jesus through The Word of God!

AMEN?

Sunday Sermon October 2, 2011 - Who or What is Your First Love?

The Pastor in Church this morning said something that hit a nerve.  He read out of 1John-specifically 1John 2:15-17.  The scripture is below (Amplified Bible):


Do not love or cherish the world or the things that are in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in him.

For all that is in the world--the lust of the flesh [craving for sensual gratification] and the lust of the eyes [greedy longings of the mind] and the pride of life [assurance in one's own resources or in the stability of earthly things]--these do not come from the Father but are from the world [itself].

And the world passes away and disappears, and with it the forbidden cravings (the passionate desires, the lust) of it; but he who does the will of God and carries out His purposes in his life abides (remains) forever.

The Pastor then began to talk about some of the things of the world that we love-even more than Jesus: Our selves, our jobs, possessions, etc...

In my travels of Christian circles, I've seen some things of the world which, even the leaders of churches place more importance on than Jesus:  football, baseball, basketball,softball, food, fellowship, money, titles, buildings, other religions, and many other things.  The bible is clear when God says that "I Am The Lord Your God.  You Shall Have No Other gods Before Me!".

My question to you is: Who do you love?

Church-why do we put worldly things before Jesus-even in the Church?  Why is watching football more important than worshiping God?  Why can 25 men get together for a "church softball game", and only 4 or 5 show up for a Bible Study, or Sunday night service.  Why can't we lift up Jesus in His own House (The Church)?

Who do you love?

Why can we get 100 people together for a bar-b-que, and not for a prayer meeting?  How about a Praise & Worship night?

Who do you love?

Is a title more important to you than the actual honor of being a bond-servant to the Living God-Jesus Christ?  A title won't get you into Heaven.  A title won't allow you to be the hands & feet of Jesus!  As a matter of fact, Jesus never asks for people with titles-all He ever wants is a servant's heart to do His will and be used by Him?

Who do you love?

As supposedly soundly-saves Christians, we cannot get rid of the worldly satanic things that had us bound before we were saved like Rock Music, Rap Music, satanic & violent movies about witches, werewolves, zombies, and psycho murders.  Just look at some "believer's" Facebook page and see what they're worshiping!

Who do you love?

Church-we MUST get back to our first love-Jesus Christ.  We have to let go of the things of this worls that have us BOUND.  "Free in Christ" is NOT a license to go on behaving like a non-believer.  Being free in Christ is having the freedom & liberty to serve Jesus!

Don't be blinded by the deceptions of the enemy.  Turn your eyes upon Jesus-the Author and Finisher of our faith!

AMEN?

Shallow Small Groups

Is your Church small group like this?

Sunday Sermon September 24, 2011 - Don't Be Fooled!

Things are tough all over. Many people, as do I, work a 2nd job. This morning while I was at work, one of my co-workers started to tell me and the young man who worked with us how excited she was that Ozzie Osbourne was getting back together with Black Sabbath. As usual, I rolled my eyes when she mentioned Ozzie Osbourne. She asked me why I did that. I explained to her that both Ozzie and the other members of Black Sabbath are self-professed satan worshipers. They have dedicated their livelihood to satan, even going so far as to give the devil credit on several CD releases.

Well, did I ever get my head handed to me. This woman went on to inform me that the satan worship was "all an act", and that even musicians like Marilyn Manson were only acting to sell tracks on iTunes and CD's. I asked her if the altar calls to worship satan and the ripping up of bibles didn't point to devil worship. She questioned the fact that I could ever believe that this was anything but an act!

WOW. I mean WOW!!!!! When you have rock and rap musicians professing to the world that they worship satan, and deny Jesus Christ, and even publicly BLASPHEME the Holy Spirit, how can you say they are only acting? 1John 3:4-8 states:

"All who indulge in a sinful life are dangerously lawless, for sin is a major disruption of God's order. Surely you know that Christ showed up in order to get rid of sin. There is no sin in him, and sin is not part of his program. No one who lives deeply in Christ makes a practice of sin. None of those who do practice sin have taken a good look at Christ. They've got him all backward. So, my dear children, don't let anyone divert you from the truth. It's the person who acts right who is right, just as we see it lived out in our righteous Messiah. Those who make a practice of sin are straight from the Devil, the pioneer in the practice of sin. The Son of God entered the scene to abolish the Devil's ways."

Brothers and Sisters-please pray for this woman-that the TRUTH would prevail in her life. She did NOT want to hear it-she only wanted to hear what made her feel good. Jesus said that "...you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you FREE"! Let us also pray for all those in our lives that have been so blinded by satan, that they cannot see Jesus anywhere, or in anything. Let us pray for the delusion to be destroyed in their lives. Let us pray that God will show Himself to them, even while they are lost in a lie.

BTW-below is a video excerpt from a documentary called "They Sold Their Sould for Rock & Roll". It has clips of all the members of Black Sabbath (and other bands like Led Zepplin, Marilyn Manson, etc) blaspheming The Holy Spirit, denouncing God, and glorifying satan.

People-we need to get the Word out, and preach it everywhere we go.  We need to have discernment when we are bombarded with these lies.  Make sure that the Word of God dwells in all of you richly!

Before I was saved, I worshiped rock musicians.  I had no clue.  I didn't care.  One day, Jesus called my name.  All that faded away, and is no longer what I worship.  I worship Jesus Christ-my Lord!

AMEN?

Kari Jobe - O The Blood - HQ -GATEWAY WORSHIP.m4v

Sunday Sermon September 18, 2011

NOTE:  This is a re-post of a message I shared on the old Jesus Freak Blog back in February of 2011.  At this point in time, I am going through multiple trials, and when I looked at this post, I thought that by re-posting it, I would be able to encourage others through God's Word, as well as to encourage me (which it, in fact did do!). His promises are YES and AMEN, and proof that Jesus Christ is the SAME yesterday, today, and forever!!!

Psalm 40:1-10 (NKJV)

I waited patiently for the LORD;
And He inclined to me,
And heard my cry.

He also brought me up out of a horrible pit,
Out of the miry clay,
And set my feet upon a rock,
And established my steps.

He has put a new song in my mouth—
Praise to our God;
Many will see it and fear,
And will trust in the LORD.

Blessed is that man who makes the LORD his trust,
And does not respect the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies.

Many, O LORD my God, are Your wonderful works
Which You have done;
And Your thoughts toward us
Cannot be recounted to You in order;
If I would declare and speak of them,
They are more than can be numbered.

Sacrifice and offering You did not desire;
My ears You have opened.
Burnt offering and sin offering You did not require.

Then I said, “Behold, I come;
In the scroll of the book it is written of me.

I delight to do Your will, O my God,
And Your law is within my heart.”

I have proclaimed the good news of righteousness
In the great assembly;
Indeed, I do not restrain my lips,
O LORD, You Yourself know.

I have not hidden Your righteousness within my heart;
I have declared Your faithfulness and Your salvation;
I have not concealed Your lovingkindness and Your truth
From the great assembly.


I've included another translation from The Message in case anyone needs a simpler translation:

Psalm 40:1-10 (The Message)

I waited and waited and waited for God. At last he looked; finally he listened.

He lifted me out of the ditch,
pulled me from deep mud.
He stood me up on a solid rock
to make sure I wouldn't slip.
He taught me how to sing the latest God-song,
a praise-song to our God.
More and more people are seeing this:
they enter the mystery,
abandoning themselves to God.

Blessed are you who give yourselves over to God,
turn your backs on the world's "sure thing,"
ignore what the world worships;
The world's a huge stockpile
of God-wonders and God-thoughts.
Nothing and no one
comes close to you!
I start talking about you, telling what I know,
and quickly run out of words.
Neither numbers nor words
account for you.
Doing something for you, bringing something to you—
that's not what you're after.
Being religious, acting pious—
that's not what you're asking for.
You've opened my ears
so I can listen.

So I answered, "I'm coming.
I read in your letter what you wrote about me,
And I'm coming to the party
you're throwing for me."
That's when God's Word entered my life,
became part of my very being.

I've preached you to the whole congregation,
I've kept back nothing, God—you know that.
I didn't keep the news of your ways
a secret, didn't keep it to myself.
I told it all, how dependable you are, how thorough.
I didn't hold back pieces of love and truth
For myself alone. I told it all,
let the congregation know the whole story.

Let me ask you-Is God AWESOME, or what?  The Message translation really spoke to me tonight.

If you're going through a trial, you need to continue to praise Jesus!  You need to continue to live the life that God has given to you, and you need to continue to share The Gospel - IN ALL CIRCUMSTANCES!

The world is going to tell you to give up.  The world is going to tell you to run.  The world is going to tell you that it's OK to do something that may go against God's Word.  Satan wants you to stumble in this manner, and he will make every effort to have you say the words: "I give Up".

If you're felling that way tonight, or if you're hearing voices other that God's, then you need to do some things:

1) Take your eyes off the trial, and put them back on Jesus! (Matthew 14:22-23)
2) Rebuke the attacks of the enemy, and say " Jesus Christ rebuke you" to the demons who are whispering lies in your ears!
3) You need to surrender not only the situation, but your whole life to Jesus!  He is the burden-bearer. (Matthew 11:28-30).
4) PRAY!  Without ceasing, if at all possible.  BELIEVE what you bring before God will come to pass. (James 1:6) Ask other believers to pray for you as well. (James 5:13-16)
5) Read and meditate on God's Word.  It will bring you joy, peace, and understanding.  Trail, or not!
6) DO NOT listen to un-Godly council! (Romans 8:7-8)
7) REJOICE!  PRAISE THE LORD! (Philippians 4:4-7)
8) Realize that NOTHING is impossible with God!  He can do ANYTHING!  (Matthew 19:26, Philippians 4:13, 19)
9) Continue to live your daily life.
10) Continue to share The Gospel with everyone possible.  There's a testimony in the trial somewhere.  You may even encourage another believer through your trial who may have given up!  Even better-Jesus may use you to usher someone into His kingdom! (Romans 10:14-17)

As I am going through some trials myself, God constantly brings me back to His Word.  I am strengthened, encouraged, and even BLOWN AWAY by His faithfullness!  Praise His Holy Name!! Hallelujah!!! \O/ He is FAITHFUL to take us through these trials remember-we're in them for a reason:

2 Corinthians 4:16-18 (The Message)
So we're not giving up. How could we! Even though on the outside it often looks like things are falling apart on us, on the inside, where God is making new life, not a day goes by without his unfolding grace. These hard times are small potatoes compared to the coming good times, the lavish celebration prepared for us. There's far more here than meets the eye. The things we see now are here today, gone tomorrow. But the things we can't see now will last forever.

You may never see the fruit that will come out of your trial.  It may end up with a co-worker, a friend, a family member, or a stranger-but it always does something.  God's Word, once it goes out will never return void! (Isaiah 55:11)


Can I get a witness?
AMEN?

Phil Wickham - At Your Name - NYC 2011

Sunday Sermon - September 11, 2011 (The "Weak Spot")

If you turn on a TV, go on the internet, or listen to the radio these days, then you have to know that the 10th anniversary of the September 11th attacks are being covered by just about everyone. Ten years ago, we watched as 2 planes each hit a tower of the World Trade Center in NYC, and another plane hit the Pentagon in Washington DC. A 4th plane crashed into a field in Pennsylvania, which was thought to be heading to the White House, or the Capitol Building. We grieved as we cleaned up. We came together as a nation. American flags appeared everywhere. Even the ACLU couldn't lift a finger to challenge the flags being flown! As a nation, we became more patriotic. Churches, Synagogues, Mosques were all filled to capacity as different faiths prayed for our nation. I remember myself going to a prayer service at the Church I attended at the time. When I arrived and we all started praying, there were about 30 people. When the prayer service was over and I opened my eyes, the sanctuary had over 150 people. It was packed!

As the years went by, we started to rebuild as a nation. We invaded Afghanistan, Iraq, and started a campaign against terror around the world. Traveling anywhere became an adventure as we needed to get to the airport 3 hours ahead of schedule for security checks, and we needed to take our shoes off as a precautionary measure. We shifted our security posture from defensive, to offensive. We even began to get a little cocky as a nation by thinking that the war in Iraq was over when it really wasn't.

As more time went by, the crowded Houses of Worship became empty. The American flags disappeared. People began to forget what happened on Sept 11, 2001. We turned our focus from looking inward to infighting. The tolerance we had after 9/11 turned to intolerance. We couldn't even stop fighting amongst ourselves. The whole world watched as out political establishment went at it 24/7 on live TV, and on the internet. Oh what fools we must have looked like to the rest of the world! The ACLU again challenged any outward display, or mention of God. It seemed like preaching Atheism was acceptable, but talking about Jesus was not.

OK, but if you mentioned Jesus-you were a bigot.

Now here we are-10 years later. What have we, as a nation learned from the experience of this catastrophic attack. My answer to this is NOTHING. We have learned NOTHING.

Like the Israelites of old, we never quite learn from our mistakes as a nation. The motto" NEVER AGAIN" was spoken of everywhere after the initial attacks. As the new World Trade Center rises up out of the ashes of Ground Zero, I can't help but think what is going through the mind of the chief terrorists. They are probably looking for our weak spot.

In 2 Chronicles 18:28-34, we see Ahab, the wicked King of Israel-after being warned time and again to turn from his wicked ways, is killed in battle. Verse 33 states that a certain man "drew his bow at random", and the arrow struck Ahab in the joints of his armor. That was Ahab's weak spot. He died shortly after that.

2 Chronicles 7:14 says it all. "If My people, who are called by My name, shall humble themselves, pray, seek, crave, and require of necessity My face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven, forgive their sin, and heal their land." (Amplified Bible). We, as a nation have lost our way. We do NOT humble ourselves. We do NOT pray. We do NOT seek God's Face.

How can we just keep doing the same thing over and over again? Haven't we learned from our mistakes? Will we ever be able to see God's Hand move for our country, instead of against it?

My question to you is this:  Do you seek God in your daily life?  Do you pray every day?  Do you put God FIRST in all aspects of your life?  If not, you will never have full victory over all the attacks of the Devil in your life.  If you cannot achieve victory through Jesus in your life-how can we as a nation ever expect to achieve it?

Here's something to pray about.  When I sat down at my computer to write this weeks Sunday Sermon, this was not the topic I thought I would be sharing on.  I was going to share about John 21:15-19.  I guess God had other plans, because as soon as my fingers hit the keyboard, He took me in a completely different direction. As far as I'm concerned-this is the message that God really wanted me to share.  Get up off your couches and comfy chairs.  Drop to your knees, and PRAY.  Pray for the needs of others.  Pray for your families.  Pray for our nation.  Pray for yourselves.  And don't forget-pray for your enemies.  DO NOT ALLOW THE ENEMY TO FIND YOUR WEAK SPOT!!!

I guess I may share about John 21 next week.  Please remember-if you are going to any sort of gathering for 9/11, please pray about how God can use you to share The Gospel.

In HIS Holy Name,

The Jesus Freak (Ira Cohen)

Sunday Sermon – September 4, 2011. "The Cycle of Sin"

Psalm 107 (NKJV)

1 Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good!
For His mercy endures forever.
2 Let the redeemed of the LORD say so,
Whom He has redeemed from the hand of the enemy,
3 And gathered out of the lands,
From the east and from the west,
From the north and from the south.

4 They wandered in the wilderness in a desolate way;
They found no city to dwell in.
5 Hungry and thirsty,
Their soul fainted in them.
6 Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble,
And He delivered them out of their distresses.
7 And He led them forth by the right way,
That they might go to a city for a dwelling place.
8 Oh, that men would give thanks to the LORD for His goodness,
And for His wonderful works to the children of men!
9 For He satisfies the longing soul,
And fills the hungry soul with goodness.

10 Those who sat in darkness and in the shadow of death,
Bound in affliction and irons—
11 Because they rebelled against the words of God,
And despised the counsel of the Most High,
12 Therefore He brought down their heart with labor;
They fell down, and there was none to help.
13 Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble,
And He saved them out of their distresses.
14 He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death,
And broke their chains in pieces.
15 Oh, that men would give thanks to the LORD for His goodness,
And for His wonderful works to the children of men!
16 For He has broken the gates of bronze,
And cut the bars of iron in two.

17 Fools, because of their transgression,
And because of their iniquities, were afflicted.
18 Their soul abhorred all manner of food,
And they drew near to the gates of death.
19 Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble,
And He saved them out of their distresses.
20 He sent His word and healed them,
And delivered them from their destructions.
21 Oh, that men would give thanks to the LORD for His goodness,
And for His wonderful works to the children of men!
22 Let them sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving,
And declare His works with rejoicing.

23 Those who go down to the sea in ships,
Who do business on great waters,
24 They see the works of the LORD,
And His wonders in the deep.
25 For He commands and raises the stormy wind,
Which lifts up the waves of the sea.
26 They mount up to the heavens,
They go down again to the depths;
Their soul melts because of trouble.
27 They reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man,
And are at their wits’ end.
28 Then they cry out to the LORD in their trouble,
And He brings them out of their distresses.
29 He calms the storm,
So that its waves are still.
30 Then they are glad because they are quiet;
So He guides them to their desired haven.
31 Oh, that men would give thanks to the LORD for His goodness,
And for His wonderful works to the children of men!
32 Let them exalt Him also in the assembly of the people,
And praise Him in the company of the elders.

33 He turns rivers into a wilderness,
And the watersprings into dry ground;
34 A fruitful land into barrenness,
For the wickedness of those who dwell in it.
35 He turns a wilderness into pools of water,
And dry land into watersprings.
36 There He makes the hungry dwell,
That they may establish a city for a dwelling place,
37 And sow fields and plant vineyards,
That they may yield a fruitful harvest.
38 He also blesses them, and they multiply greatly;
And He does not let their cattle decrease.

39 When they are diminished and brought low
Through oppression, affliction, and sorrow,
40 He pours contempt on princes,
And causes them to wander in the wilderness where there is no way;
41 Yet He sets the poor on high, far from affliction,
And makes their families like a flock.
42 The righteous see it and rejoice,
And all iniquity stops its mouth.

43 Whoever is wise will observe these things,
And they will understand the lovingkindness of the LORD.

This Psalm spoke to me when I recently read it. It recounts the experiences of a people who sinned, and cried out for the deliverance of The Lord.

The psalmist begins by thanking The Lord for His mercy and redemption

The Psalmist then tells about a people who lost their way.

He then goes on to describe how these people cried out for deliverance, and how The Lord delivered them.

The next verses speak about how we need to continually thank Him for His awesome deliverance. It also speaks about how God will deliver.

In the 4 sections of this Psalm, the same pattern is followed. I've broken these out into groups with all 4 sections of this Psalm so you can see the pattern:

The Sin:
Section (1)
4 They wandered in the wilderness in a desolate way;
They found no city to dwell in.
5 Hungry and thirsty,
Their soul fainted in them.

Section (2)
10 Those who sat in darkness and in the shadow of death,
Bound in affliction and irons—
11 Because they rebelled against the words of God,
And despised the counsel of the Most High,
12 Therefore He brought down their heart with labor;
They fell down, and there was none to help.

Section (3)
17 Fools, because of their transgression,
And because of their iniquities, were afflicted.
18 Their soul abhorred all manner of food,
And they drew near to the gates of death.

Section (4)
23 Those who go down to the sea in ships,
Who do business on great waters,
24 They see the works of the LORD,
And His wonders in the deep.
25 For He commands and raises the stormy wind,
Which lifts up the waves of the sea.
26 They mount up to the heavens,
They go down again to the depths;
Their soul melts because of trouble.
27 They reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man,
And are at their wits’ end.

The Repentance and Prayer of The People:
Section (1)
6 Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble,
And He delivered them out of their distresses.

Section (2)
13 Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble,
And He saved them out of their distresses.

Section (3)
19 Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble,
And He saved them out of their distresses.

Section (4)
28 Then they cry out to the LORD in their trouble,
And He brings them out of their distresses.

How God Responded to the People:
Section (1)
7 And He led them forth by the right way,
That they might go to a city for a dwelling place.

Section (2)
14 He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death,
And broke their chains in pieces.

Section (3)
20 He sent His word and healed them,
And delivered them from their destructions.

Section (4)
29 He calms the storm,
So that its waves are still.
30 Then they are glad because they are quiet;
So He guides them to their desired haven.

Thanking God. Praising Him and Glorifying Him:
Section (1)
8 Oh, that men would give thanks to the LORD for His goodness,
And for His wonderful works to the children of men!
9 For He satisfies the longing soul,
And fills the hungry soul with goodness.

Section (2)
15 Oh, that men would give thanks to the LORD for His goodness,
And for His wonderful works to the children of men!
16 For He has broken the gates of bronze,
And cut the bars of iron in two.

Section (3)
21 Oh, that men would give thanks to the LORD for His goodness,
And for His wonderful works to the children of men!
22 Let them sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving,
And declare His works with rejoicing.

Section (4)
31 Oh, that men would give thanks to the LORD for His goodness,
And for His wonderful works to the children of men!
32 Let them exalt Him also in the assembly of the people,
And praise Him in the company of the elders.

Once I looked at the Psalm in this manner, it occurred to me that this is typical in the walk of a believer. There are four distinct stages I would like to discuss:

-The Sin
-Repentance and Crying Out to The Lord for Deliverance
God's Response
Thanksgiving and Praise to The Lord for His Deliverance

First we sin. We suffer the consequences of those sins, until we can no longer bear the burden.

Once we've had enough, we repent of our sins, and cry out to The Lord for deliverance. We've simply gotten to the point where we can no longer deal with the penalty for our sins, and we cry out for forgiveness.

After a time (this is totally up to God), He will respond to our prayers. He may deliver us, He may ask us to wait. God looks at our hearts, then He responds.

After God's deliverance occurs, we need to thank Him. We need to praise Him, and make sure that God, and God alone gets the glory.

My question to you is this: Is this how your life sounds? Constantly falling back into sin, crying out for forgiveness, waiting on God, then thanking Him for answering your prayers? Then you start the cycle all over and over and over again until it seems like you're living in the movie "Groundhog Day".

Brothers and Sisters, we need to surrender ALL to Jesus. We need to soak ourselves in The Word of God. We need to study it, until through The Holy Spirit, He speaks to us. We need to be in the world, but NOT of the world. If we let Satan gain a foothold in our lives, we're in deep trouble. All the devil needs is one small opening in the door for him to get into your life. It may be a drink of alcohol. It may be a small taste of drugs. It may be sex outside of marriage. It may be a quick glimpse of pornography on the internet, or on TV. It may be demonic rock or rap music. It may be unforgiveness, jealousy, pride, gossip, or any "works of the flesh" specifically listed in Galatians 5:19-21. All it takes is one small opening for the enemy to get his foot into the door of your life.

If you're stuck in this "sin cycle", surrender all to Jesus right now. James 4:7-10 states:

7So be subject to God. Resist the devil [stand firm against him], and he will flee from you.
8Come close to God and He will come close to you. [Recognize that you are] sinners, get your soiled hands clean; [realize that you have been disloyal] wavering individuals with divided interests, and purify your hearts [of your spiritual adultery].
9[As you draw near to God] be deeply penitent and grieve, even weep [over your disloyalty]. Let your laughter be turned to grief and your mirth to dejection and heartfelt shame [for your sins].
10Humble yourselves [feeling very insignificant] in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you [He will lift you up and make your lives significant]. James 4:7-10 (Amplified Bible)

Satan is a liar. He knows that he loses in the end, and will make every effort to get us stuck in an endless sin cycle. We need to take a giant step back and see the deliverance of The Lord. Let God win these battles for us! We cannot possibly win in our own flesh. After all, the battle does belong to Him!

Amen?

The AWESOMENESS of God!!!

This morning, I needed some encouragement.  I've been experiencing some trials, and found myself becoming   discouraged.

I had a client appointment in Westbury at 10AM this morning, and I took Ocean Parkway (the beach route) to shave some traveling time off my ride.  On the way, The Holy Spirit filled my soul, and I began to pray. Actually- I was having Church in my car!

After I finished crying out to God, I put my iPOD on shuffle.  This is the playlist that The Lord encouraged me with:

1) Great is Thy Faithfulness (Lincoln Brewster)
2) Come To Me (Kari Jobe)
3) God With Us (MercyMe)
4) He Is Lord (Hillsong)
5)Faithful (Chris Tomlin)
6) Let Everything That Has Breath (?)
7) Grace That Is Greater Than All Our Sins (Carman)
8) When I Speak Your Name (Kari Jobe)
9) You're Worthy of My Praise (Passion)
10) My Beloved (Kari Jobe)
11) Healer (Kari Jobe)
12) Psalm 71 (My God's Enough) (Barlowe Girl)
13) God of Jacob (Chris Tomlin)

All I have to say is that I prayed.  Then when these worship songs came on-I worshipped!  People were staying away from me on the road when they saw me!  I was ushered into the presence of The Living God-Jesus Christ!  Praise The Name of Jesus! HALLELUJAH!

As always-the glory goes to the one who made me-Jesus!  AMEN

Are You Free?

John 8:36 - "Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed".

Still struggling with something after you've supposedly been delivered from it?  Brothers & Sisters, you need to check your belief!

How many times have we been sucked back into bad behavior, bondage, stinking thinking, unforgiveness, or sickness?  Jesus says to "just believe".

We also need to have ourselves in the Word of God.  The devil knows that if we do NOT know God's Word, then we begin to question His promises.  The devil knows when we are weak, and will waste no time in striking at us.  We need to not let that happen.

John 8:32 states:" And you shall the truth, and the truth shall set you free".

" I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life.  No man comes to the father except through Me".  - John 14:6

Brothers & Sisters, if you're bound by something today-give it to Jesus.  If you're still struggling with something that you've supposedly been delivered from-give it to Jesus!  As a matter of fact-surrender everything that you have, everything that you are to the One who made you-Jesus!  Jesus, and Jesus alone can set you FREE!

Remember-without surrender, there can be no victory!!

Amen?

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