God is Good

I am sorry someone hijacked this blog and posted these post for an nonlinear dating site. I never meant for it to be used that way. However, God is good and His lovs endures forever.

July Fourth Are We Truly Free

It is July 4, 2012, Independence Day, a day that commemorates our country's independence from England. As Americans, July 4 represents the birth of our great nation and the dawn of a new day of freedom. But speaking of freedom, are we truly free?

Are we free from the burdens and cares of this life? Are we free from the terrible guilt of sin? Are we free from fear? Are we free from degrading passions that lead us into shameful indulgences? Free from the love of money and always wanting things? Free from anger, malice, envy, bitterness and negative emotions that keep us in a state of emotional turmoil? Free from the power and penalty of sin? Free from the lies of Satan?

I have good news today on this Fourth of July, if you are not living a life of freedom there is someone who came to set the captives free. His name is Jesus, through faith in Him you can be set free. He died and rose again so that we could be set free and walk in freedom.

Make this July Fourth you Independence Day, surrender your life to Jesus and make Him your all in all. The Bible says, "He whom the Son(the son of God) sets free is free indeed."

Complete and Effective Divinity

Complete and Effective Divinity

Why is it Good Friday?

Why is it Good Friday?

My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers

In today's, devotion by Oswald Chambers (see link), we are reminded of the awesome feat that was accomplished on the cross for mankind. It was on the old rugged cross that Jesus our Saviour took all the of the world upon Himself and fully satisfied the judgement of God on sin. This is a pivotal point in history, the event that made it possible for sinful, unholy man to have a relationship with a sinless, holy God. Jesus' death on the cross brought man back into the relationship for which he was created, fellowship with the eternal God who created the universe.

As we prepare to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus, may we realize the importance of what happened on the cross of Calvary and the blessings that it wrought for mankind:

• Payment for sins - The price for our sins has been paid in full forever.
• He died so that we may have eternal life.
• Escape from an eternity in hell - Because He took the punishment for our sins, those who place their faith in Jesus do not have to suffer God's wrath against sin, which is being cast into a lake of fire for eternity.
• Reconciliation - The cross has reconciled us back to the relationship with God that was lost in the Garden of Eden when Adam and Eve sinned.

So it is evident why it is called Good Friday, next we will celebrate Easter, the day on which Jesus came forth from the grave. That glorious day when death was shown to be a defeated foe, and God proved Jesus to be the Son of God by raising Him with His power. Now, praise His name, Jesus lives forevermore in heaven with God the Father to make intercession for you and me.

May we not take lightly what Jesus did through His death and glorious resurrection. For, upon these two events hinge the hope for all mankind. Do you believe? If you do and you have never called on His name, repented of your sins and openly confessed Him as Lord with yor mouth, then do so now and embrace what Jesus purchased for you on the cross, live everlasting with Him who truly loves your soul.

Blue Ridge Mountain Boy

Blue Ridge Mountain Boy

Don't Critizize, Pray for Others

My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers

This devotion convicted me of a wrong attitude that I have sometimes regarding faults in other people. Though I do not always vocalize, sometimes I have a harsh, critical attitude. In today's devotion by Oswald Chambers, he speaks of the importance of not criticizing but interceding for others when you notice their sins (see 1 John 5:16 ).

As we go through this life, we should pray for one another, making intercession to God, praying that He would help all of us in our struggles. I realized a long time ago that I am very far from perfect and have my own struggles with sin and it is just by God's grace that I am able to say I am a Christian. However, as I seek God's help for myself, I should also be seeking God to help others instead of having a critical spirit towards them. I need to adopt the mind of Christ towards others, and love others with the love of God that is in my heart through the Holy Spirit.

The Bible says to judge not less we be judged. While it is important that we do not pass judgement on others, it does not mean that we are to totally ignore sin in others. If I were about to step in front of a car speeding down the highway, would you not do your best to stop me, saving me from a certain death. How much more should we try to help others who are engaging in sin, which is more dangerous than any natural perils we face. Why not begin helping others by interceding to God for them? Instead of gossiping about them, or criticizing them, why not pray for them, not out of a sense of moral superiority, but in a spirit of humility, realizing our own wretchedness.

The moral of this post is: When you see others faults, don't criticize ( a practice that accomplishes nothing) but pray for them. Also realize that none of us are perfect and that the only good we can lay claim to is God's amazing grace. May we pray for one another and help each other make

Fwd: Fw: PRAYER REQUEST: Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: JAMES SPURLING <spurlingj@bellsouth.net>
Date: Sun, Jan 22, 2012 at 8:49 PM
Subject: Fw: PRAYER REQUEST: Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani
To: Tracy Hughes <j.boysmom@yahoo.com>, paul young <pauldy43@gmail.com>, Sharon Spurling <spurlingkay@bellsouth.net>, Ann Elliott <sldelliott@frontier.com>, April Womack <awomack@gsp.net>, Kelly.Spurling@vocalocity.com, Mark Kratz <kratzkrew@yahoo.com>

----- Forwarded Message ----
From: Lou & Kathie <compupal@bellsouth.net>
To: Undisclosed-Recipient@yahoo.com
Sent: Tue, January 17, 2012 1:02:40 AM
Subject: PRAYER REQUEST: Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani

> *Sent:* Tuesday, January 3, 2012 8:56:12 PM
> *Subject:* Pray for Youcef Nadarkhani facing execution in Iran
>
> *[image: Description: Description:
> 316610_280881058607074_280880131940500_1042814_171121071_n.jpg]*
>
> * **This Prayer Chain is calling ALL Christians into action NOW on behalf
> of this Iranian pastor, who faces execution!*
>
> *
> Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani never practiced the Muslim faith and converted to
> Christianity at age 19, becoming a pastor later. But the courts say that
> since his mother and father *
>
> *were practicing Muslims, he must recant his Christian faith or die. So
> far, in three court appearances, he has refused to do so - RISKING
> EXECUTION AT ANY MOMENT.  *
>
> *The Iranian Supreme Court often acts quickly in administering the death
> penalty.*
>
>
>
> *According to a report, when asked by judges to "repent," Youcef replied:
> "Repent,  What should I return to? To the blasphemy that I had before my
> faith in Christ?"
>
> The judges replied: "To the religion of your ancestors - Islam." To which
> Yousef replied: "I cannot."
>
> It's time for the body of Christ to act, to pray, to plead for the life of
> our Brother before Christ so that His servant may be spared. *
>
> *This is what you are asked/called to do. As soon as you receive this
> email, PRAY IMMEDIATELY. *
>
> *Forward to your Church so that they may all pray too. Then forward this
> PRAYER REQUEST to every CHRISTIAN you know so that they may pray also.
> *
>
> *The Bible States , "If God is with us, who can stand against us." *
>
>
>
> *Hebrews 13:2 Remember those in prison as if you were their fellow
> prisoners .. *
>
>

Giving Ourselves unto Whom We Belong

Years ago, a rock singer had a popular song that you sometimes may hear on the pop stations titled My Life. The singer repeatedly says that it is My Life and for other people to leave him alone. Nothing intrinsically wrong with not wanting people meddling in our affairs, but we need to realize that it is not our life, we are not our own, but we belong to the creator of all things. Even though we may never say or sing it is my life, it is very easy to have a this is my life mindset.



1^st Corinthians 6:19) What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?

20) For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.

A Call to Action Due to the Price Paid

1^st Peter 1:13) Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;

14) As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance:

15) But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation;

16) Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.

17) And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man's work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear:

18) Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers;

19) But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:

20) Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you,

21) Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God.

22) Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently:

23) Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.

In the first chapter of Peter’s first epistle verses 13-17, he encourages believers to prepare their minds and pin all their hopes on Jesus, whom we have received and one day will see face to face. He calls upon believers to be obedient children and forsake their former way of living prior to conversion. Separation to God who is so high above and all together separate than anything in this universe is encouraged by Peter, this separation is to spill over in all areas of life. Additionally, Peter admonishes believers to life their life in reverential fear of God, for He is also is a God of judgment.

Starting in verse 18, Peter gives the reasoning behind this radical holy way of living. He states the price that was paid to deliver us from a life of separation of God. The price paid was the blood of Christ, the perfect undefiled sacrifice to redeem us from our defiled lives. What a price was paid for our redemption, no wonder Paul stated that we were not our own but had been bought with a price.

It is obvious that the price we were bought with was far from ordinary. Apart from being the blood of the Son of God, which is of greater significance than mortal man can fathom, there are some noteworthy aspects of the price that was paid for our souls that should shape our way of thinking and ultimately living.

1) It was a perfect sacrifice. In verses 18-19 of 1^st Peter Chapter 1, Peter speaks of the perfection of the sacrifice. It was a complete, perfect price that God paid for you and me. God does not do things halfway, which means that we have been completely redeemed from our former way of living. That being the case, we ought to live like those who have been totally redeemed.

2) It was a sacrifice in eternity. In verse 20, in my opinion Peter is alluding to eternity before the world and in verse 23 eternity when the world as we know it is destroyed. It is a price that is outside of the continuum of time or of eternity rather. Because of the eternal aspects of the price paid, we should view and live life from an eternal perspective.



3) It is a life giving sacrifice. In verse 23 we see that the price that was paid caused us to be born again, to be given a new life that sprang up from the seed of Christ.

The first step in living our lives in the reality of who we truly belong to is to change our way of thinking. We have to continually remind ourselves of whose we are and the price paid. Instead of thinking about what I want to do, we need to meditate upon what God would have us to do. God has given us gifts, spiritual and natural for us to use for Him during the time of our pilgrimage here on earth, the question we need to be asking is; how does He want me to use those gifts for His glory and the kingdom of God?