Articles

Benefits in Eternal Glory

Paula White Exposed [video]

THAT’s My King! Pastor Lockridge [video]

Powerful Prayers from Children-This Will Shake You [video]

The Fear of the LORD is to Hate Evil: Pride, and Arrogancy #shorts [video]

“Oh how great is thy goodness, which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee; which thou hast wrought for them that trust in thee before the sons of men!” Psalms 31:19

The merchants of this world constantly seek for your dollars, promising you some thrill, creature comfort, or a better life in this temporary dwelling place (earthly life). But that’s all for this fleeting life whereby our LORD told us to lose our lives and not to preserve or pamper them (John 12:24-26). In this brief life we are given the window of opportunity to work to provide for our families, self, and the basic necessities, and then to “have to give” to those in need and the work of the eternal Gospel (2 Corinthians 9:6-11; Ephesians 4:28, etc.). True servant elders in Christ’s body will be calling you to give up your life in this fleeting world (Luke 8:23-24; 14:33; 17:33; 19:27; 1 Timothy 6:17-19). This is the privilege our LORD has given us to “lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven” (Matthew 6:19-24).

IF we truly put Him first, will His work be the last thing that receives our financial attention or, will His work be the very first place we place funds out of what He allowed us to earn?

Push This! …. Upward

“Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: 20 But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: 21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. … But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. 34 Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.” Matthew 6:19-21, 33-34

Here Jesus is teaching His people not to be worried about tomorrow but seek first His kingdom by laying up treasures in heaven and by not serving mammon but God who is the Giver of all good gifts in the first place. He never runs out of goods to give. But can He move those good things through us after He gets them to us?

The LORD be praised for those who have given to Christ’s work in the past. So, that makes your willingness to help so much the more important. The LORD promises you will be rewarded – eternally! Your continued giving is vital to the sustenance and fruitfulness of divinely-ordained, true New Testament ministries. Trust me: If they are telling the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but God’s truth, they are in need of your help! People don’t rush to give to those who endeavor to preach the full-counsel of our LORD’s Word. No, in fact, they get offended and run to the ear-tickling ministers of Satan (2 Corinthians 11:12-15; 2 Timothy 4:2-4). And, the sad fact is, that most who get fed by ministries, never bother to give of what God has put into their hands to further His work. In fact, many reading these very words have thousands saved up for a rainy day, preserving their life in this present, fleeting, sinful world, and will not bother to help God’s work (1 Timothy 6:6-19).

IF God, His work, and souls mean something of importance to us, will we not support the outflow of the LORD’s Word?

If Jesus Christ is truly LORD and Master of our lives, He is then LORD and Master over all we have.

“For all things come of thee, and of thine own have we given thee.” 1 Chronicles 29:14

Someone has wisely stated that “If He’s not LORD of all, He’s not LORD at all.”

According to Jesus, the way to get on fire for Him is to begin by simple, deliberate obedience. Our hearts will follow (Matthew 6:19-21). We cannot serve God and money (Matthew 6:24). We must lay down our lives before Him in unreserved surrender. Then, all becomes His.

If we have chosen to be disciplined about paying for frivolous, waste such as cable TV, the tanning salon, expensive coffees and cosmetics, and hobbies, can we not consider revamping? How about pushing everything else down lower and placing the LORD Almighty at the very top of the list of priorities?

WND published this statistic recently:

“The Democratic National Committee also appears to be having fundraising woes of its own. In May, the DNC raised $60 million, compared to $76.8 million by the RNC.” WND

And to think that some of those donating money to politics claim that they are true disciples of Jesus when they give less or nothing to God’s work. Tragic!

Could the LORD be calling us to repent and put our faith afresh in Him?

“Honour the Lord with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase: ¹⁰So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine.” Proverbs 3:9-10

How is it that we had the wherewithal, energy, and money to go out and contract with different companies for temporal items or pleasures? Was it not the desire of our hearts? Do we desire to see the LORD’s Word prosper in the hearts and lives of others? Can we not now choose to be disciplined in our giving to the LORD’s work?

Is this not part of the daily cross?

Are we here to stay or just passing through? See Hebrews 13:14.

So many people eagerly pursue and invest their earthly monies, seeking to multiply it. But what are Jesus’ teachings on this important subject? Read Luke 12 and Luke 16 for a starter.

Why would Jesus who died for our sins and soul jeopardize that very soul He died to save against His own counsel? Let’s read what Jesus said in Mark 10:23-25:

“And Jesus looked round about, and saith unto his disciples, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God! And the disciples were astonished at his words. But Jesus answereth again, and saith unto them, Children, how hard is it for them that trust in riches to enter into the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.”

Jesus and His holy apostles warned about covetousness and greed and laying up treasures in this fleeting life which will blow away with the wind upon our death and cause our eternal fall (Psalms 49; 1 Timothy 6; Ephesians 5:7-9).

Does God not see it when we overlook the needs of others while we have the money to help? See Proverbs 24:10-12; James 2:14-17; 1 John 3:16-19.

Here are some intriguing notes from the Life in the Spirit Study Bible:

“Riches are, in Jesus’ perspective, an obstacle both to salvation and to discipleship (Mat. 19:24; 13:22). They give a false sense of security (Luke 12:15ff), they deceive (Mat. 13:22), and they demand the total loyalty of one’s heart (Mat. 6:21). The rich often show that they have no need of God. By searching for riches, their spiritual life is choked (Luke 8:14) and they are led into temptation and harmful desires (1 Tim. 6:9), resulting in the abandonment of saving faith (1 Tim. 6:10). All too often those who are rich take advantage of the poor (Jas. 2:5-6). Thus, no Christian ought to desire to get rich (1 Tim. 6:9-11).” Life In the Spirit Study Bible, p. 1568

“Selfish amassing of material possessions is an indication that life is no longer seen from the vantage point of eternity (Col. 3:1). A selfish, greedy person no longer has his goal and fulfillment in God, but rather in himself and his possessions. The tragedy of Lot’s wife, for example, was her placing all her affections on an earthly city rather than a heavenly one (Gen. 19:16-17, 26; Luke 17:28-33; Heb. 11:8-10). In other words, striving after wealth has in it the seed of total alienation from God (1 Tim. 6:10).” Life In the Spirit Study Bible, p. 1568

“True riches for a Christian consist in faith and love that express themselves in self-denial and following Jesus (1 Cor. 13:4-7; Phil. 2:3-5). Those who have true riches have gained freedom from the things of this world through confidence that God is their Father and that He will not forsake them (2 Cor. 9:8; Phil. 4:19; Heb. 13:5-6).” Life In the Spirit Study Bible, p. 1568

Those who give of themselves, which integrally includes their temporary earthly treasure, will forever reap benefits in eternal glory. Jesus promised. Will you follow Him?

“For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister.” Hebrews 6:10

“We walk by faith not by sight. Preachers should never ask for money for themselves, absolutely not, yet those they preach to should have a generous heart to support a man called by God to teach, lead, or pastor an assembled group. For in doing so, they are giving as unto God, as the true shepherd has ascended to the hill, with a pure heart and clean hands..and is able to STAND IN HIS PRESENCE!!!!!! For God has given him the authority in the call!!!! As you honor with the richness of your heart toward the man of God, so shall you be rich in like manner ways, for the Lord said…He who delights in the Word shall be blessed in all His ways…pretty simple…two great commandments, hang all the laws of the prophets.” Peter Korelis

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Money, Material Wealth, and Riches

PARABLE OF THE TALENTS [podcast]

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Articles

The Only Way Up is Down [podcast]

Chapter 8 from the book Raised Up (narration)

“Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.” Proverbs 16:18

The Down and Up Principle of God’s Kingdom

“And the remnant that is escaped of the house of Judah shall again take root DOWNWARD, and bear fruit UPWARD.” Isaiah 37:31

The Scriptures follow a pattern of death and resurrection, a downward death and upward life. See if you can observe such a truth in the following verses:

“The LORD upholdeth all that fall, and raiseth UP all those that be bowed DOWN.” Psalms 145:14

Do you possess the blessed desire to be raised up by the Almighty? According to His divine wisdom given us in His precious Precepts, in order to be “raised up” we must first be “bowed down.” The LORD will not raise up any person who is still alive in his own power – He only raises up “those that be bowed down” in sincere humility before His majesty (Ps. 145:14; Jn. 12:23-25; Rom. 8:11).

“Those that be bowed down” will “take root downward” and be raised up in blessed fruitfulness (Isa. 37:31).

In order to “bear fruit upward,” one must first be planted in the house (kingdom) of the LORD and “take root downward” in the rich soil of His truth. The resurrection life of Jesus and ample fruitfulness will be the result.

Going deeper in God necessitates going down deeper into death and burial with Christ! Read Romans 6. There are no shortcuts (Galatians 5:24). Christ’s kingdom is a cross economy – one of utter humility and death to self that He might reign (John 12:23-25; 2 Corinthians 4:10-12; Galatians 2:20; Colossians 3:3, etc.).

“And whosoever shall exalt himself (upward) shall be abased (humbled); and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.” Matthew 23:12

“He must INCREASE, but I must DECREASE.” John 3:30

“And Jesus answered them, saying, The hour is come, that the Son of man should be glorified. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat FALL INTO THE GROUND (downward) and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit (upward). He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life (downward) in this world shall keep it unto life eternal (upward).” John 12:23-25

“Humble yourselves (downward heart posture) in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.” James 4:10

The life of Christ will raise a man upward and this is after that man bows down his life or humbles himself under the mighty hand of God – first at initial salvation then in the consecrated life that brings God glory. Blessed resurrection life is the upward result of the life planted downward and this is the place from which ministry springs. Look at what the apostle Paul wrote in this regard:

“Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body. For we which live are always delivered unto death for Jesus’ sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh. So then death worketh in us, but life in you.” 2 Corinthians 4:10-12

Jesus declared to us that He came to make captives free from sin and Satan – “If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed” (Lk. 4:18; Jn. 8:31-32, 36).There is chain-shattering, freeing power (liberty) in the redeeming blood of Christ and by the power of the Holy Ghost (Lk. 4:18; Jn. 8:36; Acts 26:18; Col. 1:12-14; 1 Pet. 1:18-19; Rev. 12:11). The divine promise is that when one bows down before the LORD, every yoke shall be broken by Him who is above all (Isa. 58). No stronghold or bond of Satan has power when Christ’s blood is applied in sincere repentance and by the power of the Holy Ghost! The saint who is raised up after being bowed down, will glorify God in rich fruitfulness being “changed into the same image (Christ’s) from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.”

“Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.” 2 Corinthians 3:17-18

It is the divine Person of the Holy Ghost who raised up the LORD who was bowed down before His Father in death in order to purchase His Church with His own sinless blood (Acts 20:28). In like manner, it is the Holy Spirit with His resurrection power who raises up those who be bowed down before His throne of grace.

“And he (Jesus) was teaching in one of the synagogues on the sabbath. And, behold, there was a woman which had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bowed together, and could in no wise lift up herself. And when Jesus saw her, he called her to him, and said unto her, Woman, thou art loosed from thine infirmity. And he laid his hands on her: and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God… And ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan hath bound, lo, these eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the sabbath day? And when he had said these things, all his adversaries were ashamed: and all the people rejoiced for all the glorious things that were done by him.” Luke 13:10-13, 16-17

There can be no resurrection until there is first a death. A seed is dead or dormant then is planted and then germinates and brings forth bud, then a stalk and ultimately fruit – but first it must be buried downward in order to bear life-giving fruit upward. The life buried with Christ will be lifted up by divine power and bear much fruit to God’s glory (Jn. 15:8).

“But if the Spirit of him that raised UP Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised UP Christ from the dead shall also quicken (make alive upward) your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.” Romans 8:11

Our LORD had to first die and be buried “downward” in order to be raised “upward” by the Father in resurrection life to raise up and justify all those who would call upon Him in repentance (Rom. 1:4; 8:11; 10:13). In order for fruit to be borne “upward,” the disciple must first be planted “downward” in “the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death” (Isa. 37:31; Phil. 3:10).

“Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection.” Romans 6:3-5

“Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead.” Colossians 2:12

He created man with a choice (Josh. 24:15). In the end there will be “the resurrection of life” and also “the resurrection of damnation” (Jn. 5:28-29). Each of us will be in one of these resurrections – either everlasting life or eternal death (conscience separation from God in hell). The entrance into Heaven or termination into hell will hinge upon whom we served – God or self (Rom. 6:16).

Real promotion comes only from the Giver and Sustainer of all life – from the north (Heaven).

“For promotion cometh neither from the east, nor from the west, nor from the south. But God is the judge: he putteth down one, and setteth up another.” Psalms 75:6-7

That person who freely chooses to believe God, taking Christ at His Word, bowing under His infinite Majestic glory, will be raised up both now and forever and eternally glorified with the Alpha and Omega (Phil. 2:5-11; 2 Thess. 2:13-14).

“The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree: he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon. Those that be planted in the house of the LORD shall flourish in the courts of our God. They shall still bring forth fruit in old age; they shall be fat and flourishing.” Psalms 92:12-14

PRAYER: Please draw me deeper into You LORD Jesus. Father in Heaven, You sent Your only begotten Son to die for me in order that I might be raised up in new life in this brief life and eternally. I love You Jesus and ask You to lead me to that crucified life that you lived when here on earth and as You gave Your life blood on the cross to save Your people. Please quicken me by Your Holy Spirit and fill me afresh O LORD, that this life You gave might be fully one with You and fruitful and pleasing to Thee. Lord, I am watching and praying in light of Your soon return. In the name of Jesus, Amen.

If you truly desire to know more about how to really know the LORD, go here okay: Born Again: What is It?

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PEACE with GOD

Feedback:

“Awesome message. Thank you for sharing it. I would like to encourage everyone to read this and to look at the scriptures in their own Bibles! Wonderful message.” Linda C.