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CATCH THE LITTLE FOXES

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE: Catch for us the foxes, the little foxes that ruin the vineyards, our vineyards that are in bloom. Song of Solomon 2:15, NIV

TODAY’S WORD: Everyone has opportunities to get upset and be frustrated every single day. Sometimes it’s the little things—we can’t find the car keys, traffic is backed up, somebody was rude, or what should have taken an hour ends up taking four hours. Something happened and now you are frustrated and all bent out of shape. There will always be something that can sour your day, but if you are going to live in victory, you have to maintain the right approach. You can’t let the little foxes spoil the vine. In other words, don’t let the little things in life spoil the harvest God has for your future. 

I’ve heard it said, “Life is 10 percent what happens to you and 90 percent how you respond.” Make sure you respond to life with an attitude of faith and expectancy. Sure, things may irritate you, but don’t let that irritation last into the next moment. Let it go. Don’t try to control everything around you. Instead, release it to God knowing that His plans are for your good, and He is leading and guiding you in the path of blessing.??

PRAYER FOR TODAY: Father, today I choose to hold on to peace. I won’t let the little things upset me and steal my joy and peace. I choose to trust You and praise You for what You are doing today and in the future of my life in Jesus’ name! Amen.

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He’s coming in glory

The opening chapter of Revelation sets the tone for everything else that will happen in the book. Rev. 1:1 tells us that this book is “The revelation of Jesus Christ.” Rev. 1:7-8 says, “Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindred’s of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.” This book is about Jesus and about His return to this earth to rule and reign.
        Revelation chapter 5 takes us into Heaven. God is shown holding a book that is sealed with seven seals, 5:1. A search is made in heaven and in earth to find someone worthy to open the book, but no one is found, 5:2-3. John weeps at this news, because he desperately wants to know what is written in the book, 5:4. John is told not to weep because the Lamb of God is worthy to take the book, Rev. 5:5-7. When the Lord takes the book from the hand of God, Heaven erupts into praise and worship because the Lord Jesus has been found worthy to take the book and to open the seals, Rev. 5:8.
         You see, Satan is called “the god of this world”, 2 Cor. 4:4. He may be the “little g” god of this world today, but he is not worthy to retain his grip on the world. This world belongs to Jesus, and to Jesus alone! The day will come when He will take possession of this world away from Satan.
        This world is belongs to Jesus because of three great truths.
         It is His by right of Creation – He made it!
         It is His by right of Calvary – He redeemed it!
         It is His by right of Conquest – He will retake it!
The entire book of Revelation has been leading us to this great moment we will consider together today. The whole purpose of the Tribulation Period, chapters 6-18, is to prepare the world for the coming of the King. The passage we are about to look at today speaks of that great moment in the future when Jesus will return to this earth is power and glory to claim what is rightfully His. The first time Jesus came to this world, He came as a Redeemer. The next time He comes, He is coming as a Ruler! The first time He faced a Cross; the next time, He will wear a Crown. The first time He came there was a Tomb; the next time He comes there will be a Throne

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The tongue that curses


The book of proverbs speaks about many thing as well as the topic of cursing and why it is prohibited. There are several verses in the book of proverbs which speaks on the topic of cursing, these verses include:
Proverbs 6: 12, A naughty person, a wicked man, walketh with a froward mouth.” Proverbs 21: 23, “Whoso keepeth his mouth and his tongue keepeth his soul from troubles.” Proverbs 4:24 “Put away from thee a forward mouth, and perverse lips put far from thee.” proverbs 10:32“The mouth of the just bringeth forth wisdom: but the forward tongue shall be cut out.” Proverbs 15: 1 “A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger.” Proverbs 30:11 “There is a generation that curseth their father, and doth not bless their mother.” Proverbs 20:20 “Whoso curseth his father or his mother, his lamp shall be put out in obscure darkness.” Proverbs 27: 14 “He that blesseth his friend with a loud voice, rising early in the morning, it shall be counted a curse to him.” Proverbs 30: 9 “Lest I be full, and deny thee, and say, who is the LORD? or lest I be poor, and steal, and take the name of my God in vain.” Proverbs 29:24 “Whoso is partner with a thief hateth his own soul: he heareth cursing, and bewrayeth it not.”
The tongue is said to be a muscular organ in the mouth that is covered with moist, and pink tissue called mucosa. Its vital use is for chewing, swallowing and for speech. (Hoffman). According to Ellen G. White in the book, The Voice in Speech and Song, “It is with the tongue that we offer prayer and praise to God. With the tongue we convince and persuade. With the tongue we comfort and bless, sooth the bruised, wounded soul. With the tongue we may make known the wonders of the grace of God. With the tongue also we may utter perverse things, speaking words that sting like an adder.”
In James 5:3 it is clearly explained that the tongue is a little member that is seen as a fire able to set the body on blaze and thereby corrupt the whole being. Furthermore, in Psalms 109: 17-18 it is clear that a life that is full of misery allows one to curse because of this misery it is made known with their degenerate speech. Thus, God keeps them unhappy by cursing them because of their curse words used in their speech.
Cursing is a well-known theme that can be found in proverbs as well as the reasons why people curse and the consequences that comes after. For example, proverbs 21: 23 which states “Whoso keepeth his mouth and his tongue keepeth his soul from troubles.” This verse simply means if you rule your speech you will save yourself from trouble. Your mouth and tongue are two of your greatest enemies. If you will keep them under control and only speak the right words at the right time, your life will be blessed. Thus, God’s ideal for his children is Godliness and Godlikeness therefore, we must be careful of the words that proceeded from out of our mouth because words can heal, hurt, build or destroy.

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Satan the Deceiver

Revelation 20:1-3,1 And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand.2 And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years,3 And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season.
7 Now when the thousand years have expired, Satan will be released from his prison 8 and will go out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle, whose number is as the sand of the sea.
This morning I want to remind us how powerful Satan is. He is not to be taken lightly in our lives. Satan is a deceiver and he is the master of it.
Lets take a look at what is going on.
I.       In verse 7, Satan is bound for 1000 years.
A.    The bound, nothing can get out. Look at verse 3.
B.    Satan can’t temp anyone from within the bottomless pit.
C.    Peace on earth for 1000 years.
D.    Technically we can only be temped two ways.
1.     One is Satan, this is from without.
2.     The other is from with in. Our old nature which is changing if one is saved.
 
 
 
 
 
II.     Than Satan is released after 1000 years.
A.    Satan goes out temping people again.
1.     Remember, these people have not been temped for 1000 years.
B.    People have been born who have never been temped by Satan.
1.     They will fall to his influence.
 
III.    As the sand are of the Sea, that is how many people will turn from Christ and serve Satan.
A.    There is no way anyone can number how many people that will be. But it will be a lot.
B.    These people lived 1000 years in perfect Pease, which the earth has never experienced.
C.    This shows us two things, Satan is powerful and how wicked our hearts are.
1.     Jeremiah 17:9,9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?
2.     I thank God that through Jesus Christ that can change.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
D.    This is how powerful Satan is.
1.     We take it for granted whom Satan is and what he can do.
E.     People here are just not deceived, they are going out to battle for Satan.
1.     This will show that a lot of people will be submissive to Christ, but never get saved during the 1000-year reign of Christ.
2.     That is what is happening today.
a)     People go to church, some every Saturday and will never get saved.
b)     They have the outward appearance of a Christians, but no change take place inside.
 
Conclusion:  I hope this gets you thinking today that we need the power of Christ each and every moment of every day. Than we can battle against Satan through the help of Christ doing the a work in us.
 
Please don’t take Satan for-granted.

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The Marvelous Grace of God

Titus2:11-14

INTRODUCTION

The Cathedrals quartet sings one of the greatest songs I have ever heard about the grace that saves a wretched sinner like myself:

He looked beyond my faults and saw my needs,
Amazing Grace shall always be my song of praise,
For it was grace that brought my liberty,
I do not know just why he cared to love me so 

He looked beyond my faults and he saw my need
I shall forever lift my mines eyes to Calvary
To view the cross where Jesus died for me,
How marvelous the grace that caught my fallen soul

He looked beyond my faults and he saw my need.
I shall forever ever lift my eyes to Calvary
To view that Cross where Jesus died for me,
How marvelous Oh the grace that caught my fallen soul

He looked beyond my faults and saw my need. What a classic song about the grace of God.

If you are looking for the classic statement of the grace of God in the New Testament it is found in this passage. Grace – God’s Riches at Christ Expense. 

ILLUSTRATION

It is said that, years ago, during a British Conference on comparative religions, experts from around the world gathered together and debated what, if any, belief was unique to the Christian faith. So, they began eliminating possibilities. Incarnation? No, other religions had different versions of God’s appearing in human form. Resurrection? No, again other religions had accounts of return from death.

The debate went on for some time until C. S. Lewis wandered into the room. “What’s the ruckus about?” he asked, and heard in reply that his colleagues were discussing Christianity’s unique contribution among world religions.

Lewis responded, “Oh, that’s easy. It’s grace.” After some discussion, the conferees had to agree. “The notion of God’s love coming to us free of charge, no strings attached, seems to be against every instinct of humanity. 

The Buddhist 8-fold path, the Hindu doctrine of Karma, the Jewish Covenant, and the Muslim code of law, each of these offer a way to earn approval. Only Christianity dares to make God’s love unconditional.” 

When it comes to the grace of God, it is, without question, one of the most unlimited, and sad to say, most unappreciated attributes of God Himself. It seems as if the longer that we are saved, the more familiar we become with grace; thus, the more careless, and callous toward it. 

But, I submit unto you today, that Grace in God is God mercy pitying, God wisdom planning, God power preparing and God’s love providing.

Grace in Christ is saving grace suggested by Jesus, sanctifying grace suggested by Christ, sovereign grace implied by Lord, and satisfying grace by the little word our. 

I. WHAT GRACE BROUGHT

  1. What did grace bring? Notice that only the grace of God brings salvation; the law did not do it and philosophy is unable to do it.